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. 3 March, 2006
| March 25th marks the 1-year anniversary of the landmark publication of The Gambia pneumococcal conjugate vaccine trial in The Lancet. Dr. Felicity Cutts, the Principal Investigator, spoke with PneumoADIP. |
| London – March 9, 2006. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced that Brazil plans to contribute $20 million over 20 years to the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm). Government pledges to this innovative financing mechanism for immunization now total $4 billion. Seven nations are now committed to the IFFIm: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Brazil. |
| London – March 22, 2006. In the United Kingdom the annual budget report from Gordon Brown MP, reiterated the UK government commitment to tackling global poverty. “The key challenge now is to ensure that the commitments made in 2005 are translated into concrete action to accelerate progress towards the MDGs,” HM Treasury - UK Budget 2006: Report. |
| The Lancet – March 18, 2006. Dr. Lob-Levyt, says that innovative financing mechanisms for immunizations are the key to successful global health partnerships in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. |
| A recent study examined the efficacy of a novel vaccine that contained polysaccharides from 11 different S. pneumoniae serotypes each conjugated to a recombinant non-lipidated form of H. influenzae-derived protein D. A randomized double-blind efficacy study design was used to assess the efficacy of the candidate vaccine in prevention of acute otitis media caused by pneumococci and non-typable H. influenzae, as well as the effect on the overall burden of disease. Results from this study showed a statistically significant and clinically relevant reduction in episodes of acute otitis media. The results confirmed that the use of the H. influenzae-derived protein D as a carrier protein for pneumococcal polysaccharides - not only allowed protection against pneumococcal otitis, but also against acute otitis media due to non-typable H. influenzae. Prymula et al. Lancet. 2006 Mar; 367: 740-8.
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| BBC World – February 4 , 2006. BBC World aired The Kill or Cure? Special titled “Pneumococcal Disease: The Battle for a Vaccine" documentary to 270 million households in more than 200 countries and territories. In December 2005, PneumoADIP was proud to participate in the production of a Special BBC World documentary on pneumococcal vaccines. This follow-up film took an in-depth look at the success of routine pneumococcal immunization in North America ( Alaska), highlighted the severe burden of disease in India and Nepal and efforts underway to introduce pneumococcal vaccines where they are needed most. PneumoADIP would like to thank colleagues and families in Alaska, India and Nepal, for making this documentary possible. To view a 4-minute version of this documentary, visit www.preventpneumo.org. |
| If you would like to share meeting dates or any other news with PneumoADIP, please contact Benedicta Kim, hekim@jhsph.edu ISPPD-5 April 2-6, 2006 Alice Springs, Australia http://www.isppd5.com 9TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON VACCINE RESEARCH May 8-10, 2006 Baltimore, USA http://www.nfid.org/conferences/vaccine06 33RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GLOBAL HEALTH |