New pneumonia vaccine offers comprehensive immune response

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In New York, a new vaccine under development provoked an immune response to seventy-two forms of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Vaccines introduced in the early 2000s targeted up to twenty-three of the most deadly forms of the bacterium that causes pneumonia. This new study represents the most comprehensive coverage of pneumococcal disease to date, researchers say.

“We’ve made tremendous progress fighting the spread of pneumonia, especially among children. But if we’re ever going to rid ourselves of the disease, we need to create smarter and more cost-effective vaccines,” says Blaine Pfeifer, PhD, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University at Buffalo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the study’s co-lead author.

Varieties of S. pneumoniae not covered by current immunizations are responsible for seven to ten percent of pneumonia, meningitis and other cases of pneumococcal disease among U.S. children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.