Antimicrobial activity of β-lactam antibiotics against pneumococcal isolates causing pneumococcal disease in adults immediately before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain (2019–2020)

Despite the overall increase in resistance, cefditoren and cefotaxime retained favorable <i>in vitro</i> activity, while cefuroxime, cefixime, and cefpodoxime exhibited poor efficacy. Newer PCVs may broaden protection against emerging resistant serotypes, yet continued antimicrobial resistance surveillance is essential, especially regarding non-vaccine serotypes. These findings support cefditoren and cefotaxime as viable therapeutic options against non-susceptible <i>S. pneumoniae</i> isolates.