Serotypic distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Chinese children under 5 years after the introduction of the 13-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine: protocol for a scoping review

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) be included in immunization programs worldwide. In China, the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PREVNAR 7®) was authorized in 2008 but was not included in the national immunization programs. In 2016, PREVNAR 13®, a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), was licensed for optional use in China. We will conduct a scoping review of the distribution of serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children aged under 5 years in China since the introduction of PCV13. We will obtain data from PubMed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Med Online. We will also review epidemiological data from WHO and the China Antimicrobial Surveillance Network (CHINET). Our analysis will include the condition of interest, the intervention, and the geographical region. All types of studies will be eligible for inclusion in the study database if they meet the inclusion criteria. This scoping review is intended to outline how S. pneumoniae serotypes are distributed, and it will map their antimicrobial resistance in children aged under 5 years in China. The results of this study will provide useful information on the impact of PCV13 in China.