PNEUMOFOCUS
BULLETIN OF GAVI'S PNEUMOADIP AT JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
PNEUMOADIP: PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINES ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION PLAN
Volume 3, No. 6, June, 2006
| June marks three years of PneumoADIP. Working in partnership with multiple collaborators around the world, PneumoADIP has made great strides in getting closer to accomplishing its mission of “Improving child survival and accelerating the evaluation of, and access to lifesaving pneumococcal vaccines for the world’s children.”
The Web site is a reflection of these developments and the collective efforts in pneumococcal disease prevention. In order to serve as the comprehensive resource to pneumococcal disease and vaccines for the low-income countries, the Web site will be continually updated with new features and information. Please visit the Web site and let us know what you think: www.preventpneumo.org |
| A special report from the PAHO/PneumoADIP pneumococcal working group is now available. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions on pneumococcal disease surveillance and steps for accelerated vaccine introduction in the Americas. To read the report, visit: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/paho/pajph/2006/00000019/00000005/art00007 |
| PCV-7 Cost-Effective Analysis. Data from the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000-2004) were used to simulate the effects of PCV on children vaccination between 2000 and 2004, and to incorporate the effect of the vaccine in reducing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in non-vaccinated persons during those years.
PCV was estimated to have avoided about 38,000 cases of IPD during its first 5 years of use at a cost of $112,000 per life-year saved. However, once herd immunity effects were incorporated into the simulation model, it was estimated that 109,000 cases of IPD were averted at a cost of $7500 per life-year saved. This study was unique since prior to this U.S. cost-effectiveness analyses have not incorporated the contributory effects of herd immunity. The cost-effectiveness of PCV in actual use has been more favorable than predicted by estimates created before the vaccine was licensed. Ray et al. Ped. Infect. Dis. J. 2006 June; 25 (6): 494-501. Indirect Effects of PCV-7 in Alaska. A recent study examined the indirect effect of PCV-7 on adult carriage of S. pneumoniae, based on data collected from 1998 to 2004, in eight villages in Alaska. Trends in serotype distribution, antibiotic resistance, and factors associated with adult carriage of PCV-7 serotype pneumococci before and after the introduction of PCV-7 were analyzed. The proportion of adult carriers with PCV-7 type pneumococcal carriage decreased from 28% of carriers in 1998-2000 to 4.5% of carriers in 2004. The percentage of penicillin-resistant colonizing isolates decreased from 13% in 1998-2000 to 6% in 2004. Adults were more likely to carry PCV-7 type pneumococci if they lived with a child < 5 years old or if they lived with a child who had not been vaccinated with PCV-7. This study underlines the impact of PCV-7 not simply on children, but on its ability to reduce invasive pneumococcal disease among adults. Hammitt et al. J. Infect. Dis. 2006 June; 193: 1487-1494. |
| May 31, 2006 – Washington, DC. PneumoADIP featured at the Global Health Council’s 33rd annual international conference. A presentation by Dr. Nils Daulaire, president and CEO at the Global Health Council, focused on child survival and the global impact of pneumonia. “A pneumococcal vaccine would help to reduce child mortality in developing countries where pneumonia and meningitis are devastating families. Children must be given a chance to live a full and productive life. Introducing pneumococcal vaccines into developing countries will also help us to achieve millennium development goals,” said Dr. Daulaire.
The session also featured Dr. Orin Levine, executive director at PneumoADIP and was chaired by Dr. Robert Black, chairman of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “PneumoADIP has raised the profile of pneumococcal disease and it is now recognized as a serious and most importantly preventable disease, said Dr. Black. The luncheon was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. For more information about the Global Health Council see their Web site at: www.globalhealth.org June 2, 2006 – Washington, DC. Another luncheon was featured “Discovery, Development and Delivery: The Promise and Challenge of Vaccine Innovations” during the Global Health Council’s annual conference. This session examined the challenges involved in the development and delivery of new vaccines for the developing world. Moderated by Noel Gray Harvey, PhD, Director, Advanced Drug Delivery, BD Technologies, the panel of speakers included Peter Paradiso, PhD, Vice President of New Business and Scientific Affairs, Wyeth Vaccines; Michel Zaffran, Deputy Executive Secretary, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI); Adel Mahmoud, MD, PhD, President, Merck Vaccines; and Robert Steinglass, Technical Director, IMMUNIZATIONBasics Project, John Snow, Inc. This event was hosted by BD, GAVI and Wyeth. |
| Immunization in the Netherlands: The Dutch Ministry of Health has added PCV-7 to the country’s national immunization program. PCV-7 will be routinely administered to all children born on or after April 1, 2006 at 2, 3, 4 and 11 months of age beginning in early June 2006. All immunization doses will be given together with the combination vaccine against diptheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis, tetanus, and H. influenze type b (DtaP/IPV-Hib). The Netherlands, along with Norway and the UK, are among the first European countries to introduce PCV-7 routinely and free of charge. Oosten et al. Eurosurveillance. 2006; 11 (6): 3-5. |
| The Hib Initiative has been appointed by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to assist countries to make evidence- based decisions regarding the introduction of Hib vaccine into national programs. Request for proposals for studies to clarify Hib disease burden are now being accepted until August 15th. For more information, visit: http://hibaction.org/rfp.html |
| PneumoFOCUS is compiled and edited by PneumoADIP communications. |