Vaccines and Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship

* Abbreviations: Hib —: Haemophilus influenzae b PCV —: pneumococcal conjugate vaccineAntibiotics pose a great public health irony. Their existence and use have made possible the treatment of previously untreatable infections. But simultaneously, rampant antibiotic overuse has promoted the development of antibiotic resistance and new untreatable, highly resistant infections. To address this growing threat, The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria established a goal to reduce inappropriate outpatient antibiotic use by 50% by 2020.1 Antibiotic stewardship, or the effort to measure and improve antibiotic use, is a central component in achieving this goal and aims to promote and facilitate judicious antibiotic use.In addition to the problems of resistance, antibiotic overuse also poses other significant health threats, including adverse drug events and Clostridium difficile infections, consequences that can also be mitigated by antibiotic stewardship. Additionally, young children and especially infants, who receive more antibiotics per capita than any other age group, are particularly vulnerable to other problems associated with antibiotic use … Address correspondence to Adam L. Hersh, MD, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108. E-mail: adam.hersh{at}hsc.utah.edu