Pneumococcal Disease News and Research

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Pneumococcal disease describes a group of illnesses caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. This bacterial pathogen, which affects both children and adults, is a major cause of death and illness worldwide. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal disease is the number one vaccine-preventable cause of death in children younger than 5 years of age worldwide.

One in five childhood deaths in England and Wales still due to infection

A new study published in the journal Archives of Diseases of Childhood in March 2020 reveals that despite a drop to less than half, compared to 25 years ago, infection is still a cause of significant mortality among children. The most common cause of infection-related deaths in this age group are respiratory infections.

24 Mar 2020

New method will enable production of tailor-made vaccines

Vaccines can be far more targeted and effective than they are today. A new method will allow us to develop new vaccines more cheaply and efficiently and perhaps get one step ahead of bacteria.

13 Mar 2020

Blue Water Vaccines enters into agreement to develop Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine with St. Jude

Blue Water Vaccines Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative vaccines solving global health challenges, has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the development of a Streptococcus Pneumoniae vaccine with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the nation's leading hospital dedicated to understanding, treating and curing childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

11 Feb 2020

New strategies needed to reduce pneumococcal meningitis rates

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine have been highly effective in reducing pneumonia and other invasive infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.

9 Feb 2020

New vaccine designs could reduce rates of dangerous bacterial disease

New research has found that rates of disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae could be substantially reduced by changing our approach to vaccination.

3 Feb 2020

Being exposed to diesel exhaust particles raises pneumococcal disease risk

Air pollution is a long-standing global problem, which is responsible for 7 million deaths each year, with 7 percent of these attributed to pneumonia. A new study highlights how air pollution affects the airways making the body susceptible to developing the pneumococcal disease.

23 Jan 2020

NIAID to fund VTEU program and its companion leadership group

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health, today announced the establishment of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium, a clinical trials network that will encompass the Institute's long-standing Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs) and create a new consortium leadership group

20 Dec 2019

Legislation and rising incidence of vaccine preventable diseases – the connection explored

There have been repeated reports of outbreaks of “vaccine-preventable disease” or VPDs across United States over the past few years. A new research letter was published this week in the JAMA Pediatrics. It was titled, “Association of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Incidence With Proposed State Vaccine Exemption Legislation.”

18 Nov 2019

Study uncovers link between dietary zinc and protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae

Researchers have uncovered a crucial link between dietary zinc intake and protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae, the primary bacterial cause of pneumonia.

23 Aug 2019

PCV10 vaccine against pneumonia sharply reduces incidence of serious pneumococcal disease

A vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of childhood illness and mortality in the developing world, sharply reduced the incidence of serious pneumococcal disease among children in a large Kenyan community after it was introduced in 2011, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

17 Apr 2019

Recommending adults to get pneumococcal vaccine at age 50 may be effective guidance

If mitigating racial disparities in those who contract pneumococcal diseases, such as meningitis and pneumonia, is a top public health priority, then recommending that all adults get a pneumococcal vaccine at age 50 would likely be effective guidance, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analysis published today in the journal Vaccine.

4 Mar 2019

Pfizer’s 20vPnC vaccine receives Breakthrough Therapy designation from FDA

Pfizer Inc. announced today that its 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine candidate, PF-06482077, received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in the vaccine in adults aged 18 years and older. Pfizer expects to start Phase 3 trials in a few months.

20 Sep 2018

Pneumococcal genes predict course of disease

Pneumococcus is an important cause of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. This bacterium commonly resides in the nasal cavity.

6 Jul 2018

New vaccine for pneumonia holds promise to save thousands of lives

In 2004, pneumonia killed more than 2 million children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. By 2015, the number was less than 1 million.

20 Oct 2017

Survey finds parents to be least knowledgeable about invasive pneumococcal disease

Pfizer Inc., in partnership with Parents magazine, announced today the results of a national survey of more than 2,000 new and expectant parents assessing their knowledge of childhood infectious diseases, such as measles, whooping cough and invasive pneumococcal disease, and the measures parents can take to help prevent them.

14 Jun 2017

Important vaccines that should not be missed by adults, elders and pregnant women

Vaccines are an important part of routine healthcare for adults, seniors and women who are pregnant.

16 Jan 2017

School holidays may be linked to increased rates of adult pneumococcal CAP

A study presented today (6 September 2016) at this year's European Respiratory Society International Congress in London, UK shows that adults admitted to hospital during school holidays are 38% more likely to have pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) than those admitted during term time.

6 Sep 2016