Author's response to reviews Title:Otitis media in children vaccinated with either 7-valent or 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: a cross sectional comparison Authors:

Abstract methods: data collection dates have been added “We conducted standardised surveillance of OM in children in remote Indigenous communities between September 2008 and December 2012 .” Abstract results: we have clarified as followsresults: we have clarified as follows “Multivariate analyses confirmed a strong and independent negative associati on between suppurative OM and PHiD-CV10 compared to PCV7 (Odds Ratio = 0.58 [95%CI 0.41 to 0.80] p=0.001). Additional children in the household were a risk factor for OM (OR = 2.42 [95%CI 1.5 to 4.0] p=0.001 for the third additional child), and older age and male gender were protective. Other measured risk factors were non-significant. Similar clinical results were found for children who had received non-mixed PCV schedules.” INTRODUCTION Row 91, pre-introduction data for OM morbidity is cited in the Abstract Background and has been published reference [1]. We have changed the text in the Introduction to read “Community based surveillance preand postintroduction of seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) indicates that less than 10% of Australian Indigenous chil dren living in remote Northern Territory (NT) communities have normal middle ears and around 20% have tympanic membrane perforation, TMP (either acute otitis media with perfo ration (AOMwiP), dry perforation (DP), or chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM)).[1, 2]” METHODS Row 122: Study dates are clarified as follows: This report includes cross sectional data from 25 communities participating in the later years of PCV7 and/or first year s of PHiD-CV10 between September 2008 and December 2012 .