Epidemiological Evidence for Serotype‐Independent Acquired Immunity to Pneumococcal Carriage

Abstract

Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that serotype-independent protective immunity is stimulated in young children by previous pneumococcal carriage and reduces the rate of new colonization. This immunity has the potential to modulate the development of carriage, irrespective of the colonizing serotype, and to do so starting early in infancy.