Prevnar vaccine cannot fight "superbug" ear infections

Prevnar, the much-acclaimed vaccine to prevent potentially-deadly pneumoccus infections, may also have a nasty side effect: new bacterial strains have developed causing hard-to-treat ear infections.

The vaccine, given to infants and toddlers was developed in Henrietta and has virtually wiped out serious strains of the pneumoccus infection. The new strain of ear infection is called "19A".

Dr. Michael Pichichero and Dr. Janet Casey, formerly of the Elmwood Pediatrics Group in Rochester, have been studying tough ear infections and the causes behind them for years. Pichichero is a microbiologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center. This week, at a microbiology meeting in Chicago, the team was among several doctors across the country who reported on the new "superbug" ear infection trend.

In their study results, many of the children who developed the "superbug" infections needed treatment with earplugs to drain the infection while others were given more rarely-used, strong antiobiotics. Dr. Pichichero was unable to comment fully on his research to News 8 Now, citing a pending embargo on his research which has yet to be published.

Antibiotic resistance continues to be a growing trend in Rochester and across the country both in children and adults. The Prevnar vaccine was initially created at the University of Rochester Medical Center and was leter fully-developed at Praxis Pharmaceuticals in Henrietta.