Investigating the serotype epidemiology of E. coli bloodstream infections in Oxfordshire, and evaluating the potential health economic consequences of the ExPEC9V vaccine

E. coli is a type of bacteria that commonly causes infections. When it gets into a patient’s blood it can cause very severe infections and there is up to around a 20% chance that patients will die despite medical treatment. A vaccine to prevent severe disease caused by E. coli is currently in development but there is limited up-to-date data to indicate how effective this might be. This vaccine targets a particular part of E. coli called the O-antigen, which is an important part of the mechanisms that enable the bacteria to cause disease. In this study, we will explore how successful this vaccine is likely to be in Oxfordshire whilst also considering the estimated costs associated with the infections it might prevent.