Pfizer PCV13 Vaccine selected for immunization program of Indian babies

Pfizer announced that its 13-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13) Vaccine has been selected for immunization program of India’s babies in select states.

Results of the Epidemiological studies conducted in India confirm that the PCV 13 vaccine provides higher coverage than any other PCV vaccine. The additional strains that PCV 13 covers are 3, 6A and 19A. PCV 13 is the most widely used pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the world.

PCV 13 will be introduced in a multi dose vial format in India. This presentation has been specially developed by Pfizer to enhance efficiencies of public immunization programs. In the first phase, the program will cover 5.15 million babies of India’s birth cohort.

Pfizer India Country Manager, S. Sridhar said that the Government of India has made reaching every child with vaccines as a key priority. With the introduction of PCV 13, they will able to help protect India’s birth cohort of 26 million children from the leading cause of child deaths in the country. Pfizer remains committed to supporting the Government and its partners in expanding the introduction of PCV 13 in the country such that every child in India gets access to protection from pneumococcal diseases.

For the first phase, the vaccine will be supplied directly by Pfizer Inc. through UNICEF, under the auspices of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s Advance Market Commitment – an innovative funding mechanism that provides Gavi eligible and Gavi graduated countries with access to advanced life-saving vaccines.