Colonization with 19F and other pneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotypes in children in St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Children in St. Louis exhibit a higher prevalence of VT serotypes among pneumococcal carriage isolates than has been reported in other areas in the US, demonstrating the necessity of ongoing surveillance of local epidemiology and providing evidence that serotype 19F can remain prevalent in a pediatric population despite high vaccine uptake.