Pneumococcal Infections and the Infant Microbiome: Pneumococcal Disease in Infancy

In this first deep dive, Debby Bogaert explores the global burden of pneumococcal disease in young children and compares its impact with RSV and flu. She discusses how pneumococcus colonises the respiratory tract, the role of co-infections, and the importance of vaccination. Listeners will also learn how early life factors and microbiome recovery shape the infant respiratory ecosystem. Timestamps: 0:42- Pneumococcus in Young Children 2:46- Global Burden of Pneumococcal Disease 4:15- Pneumococcus vs RSV and Flu 7:17- Microbiome Recovery 8:29- Pneumococcal Vaccination 9:46- Role of Co-Infections 11:34- Colonisation 13:30- Respiratory Tract As an Ecosystem 15:44- Early Life Factors