There is evidence that routine childhood vaccination reduces the burden of pneumococcal disease in adults and especially high-risk adults, such as those living with HIV/AIDS.The vaccine is, however, primarily developed for the U.S. and European epidemiological situation, and therefore it has only a limited coverage of serotypes causing serious pneumococcal infections in most developing countries. Evidence supporting addition to routine vaccination schedules
After introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2000, several studies described a decrease in invasive pneumococcal disease in the United States. One year after its introduction, a group of investigators found a 69% drop in the rate of invasive disease in those of less than two years of age. By 2004, all-cause pneumonia admission rates had declined by 39% (95% CI 22–52) and rates of hospitalizations for pneumococcal meningitis decreased by 66% (95% CI 56.3-73.5) in children younger than 2.Rates of invasive pneumococcal disease among adults have also declined since the introduction of the vaccine. Vaccination in low-income countries
Pneumococcal disease is the leading vaccine-preventable killer of young children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It killed more than 500,000 children younger than five years of age in 2008 alone. Approximately ninety percent of these deaths occur in the developing world. Historically 15–20 years pass before a new vaccine reaches one quarter of the population of the developing world.Pneumococcal vaccines Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan (PneumoADIP) was a GAVI Alliance (GAVI) funded project to accelerate the introduction of pneumococcal vaccinations into low-income countries through partnerships between countries, donors, academia, international organizations and industry.
GAVI continues this work and as of March 2013, 25 GAVI-eligible and supported countries have introduced the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Further, 15 additional GAVI countries have plans to introduce the vaccine into their national immunization program and 23 additional countries have approved GAVI support to introduce the vaccine. Society and culture
Legal status
On 16 December 2021, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Apexxnar, intended for prophylaxis against pneumococcal pneumonia and associated invasive disease. The applicant for this medicinal product is Pfizer Europe MA EEIG. Apexxnar was approved for medical use in the European Union in February 2022. Economics
Prevnar 13 is Pfizers best-selling product. It had annual sales of US$5.85 billion in 2020. Brand names
The vaccines are marketed under several brand names including Prevnar 20, Prevnar 13, Synflorix, Pneumosil, and Vaxneuvance. Research
Merck is investigating a 21-valent vaccine (code named V116) against pneumococcus serotypes. The vaccine is geared towards persons living with HIV. References
Further reading
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015). "Chapter 17: Pneumococcal Disease". In Hamborsky J, Kroger A, Wolfe S (eds.). Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (13th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Public Health Foundation. External links
"13-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13) Vaccine Information Statement". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 10 August 2021.