A Promising Vaccine for preventing pneumonia in HIV-infected adults

Research in Malawi has revealed that a 7-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine can protect HIVinfected adults from recurrent Pneumococcal infection, caused by vaccine serotypes or serotype 6A.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading and serious co infection in adults with human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, particularly in Africa. Currently no effective vaccine exists to
prevent this disease in Africa. With around 10% of pneumococcal disease cases dying even with best treatment, prevention is the preferred option.

The finding that the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (commercially available as Prevnar)
provides serotype specific protection against recurrent Pneumococcal infection in HIV-infected
adults, promises an improved route to minimising the problem of pneumonia in this group.

A team of researchers from the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust led by Dr. Neil French have proven
the efficacy of the vaccine by observing a number of patients between February 2003 and October
2007.

496 patients in total from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre were observed and followed
up. Whilst half of these patients were given the vaccine another half received placebo.

Only 5 cases of vaccine serotype pneumococcal infection were reported in patients that had used
the vaccine as opposed to 19 incidences in patients on the placebo, indicating a vaccine efficacy of
74%.

The vaccine looks promising and if adopted, deaths that result from Pneumococcal infection in HIVinfected adults could be avoided. Work is continuing to optimise the use of this vaccine.