PhD defence R.Y. (Rachid) Yahiaoui

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) belongs to the upper respiratory tract microbiota, especially in young children and the elderly. In most cases is pneumococcal colonization asymptomatic but sometimes this bacterium can cause serious invasive infections (IPD). Vaccination can prevent such infections. This thesis describes the effect of the national vaccination policy in nine European countries on the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of circulating pneumococcal serotypes. The results contribute to the optimization of the composition of the pneumococcal vaccine and to the support of empirical antibiotic therapy for the treatment of IPD.

Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall of the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.