Pneumococcal Vaccine 0.5ML Suppliers & Bulk Manufacturers

Available Forms: Injection

Available Strengths: 0.5ML

Reference Brands:

Category: Vaccines

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine protects against invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. Each serotype's capsular polysaccharide is linked to a carrier protein, giving immune memory and protection from infancy. It is an inactivated vaccine and cannot cause infection. Products differ in valency and are not interchangeable, so buyers must specify which is required.

Product Description:

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines join the capsular polysaccharide of each included serotype of Streptococcus pneumoniae to a carrier protein — in most products CRM197, a non-toxic variant of diphtheria toxin. A plain polysaccharide stimulates B cells alone and leaves no memory; a conjugate recruits T-helper cells, producing immune memory, stronger antibody on boosting, and protection from early infancy, when plain polysaccharide vaccines do not work.

They are used in routine infant immunisation, typically two or three primary doses with or without a booster, and in older adults and people with chronic heart, lung, liver or kidney disease, immunosuppression or an absent spleen. They protect against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by the serotypes they contain, and they reduce nasopharyngeal carriage, which protects unvaccinated people too. Because non-vaccine serotypes then expand to fill the gap, successive products have added more serotypes. Injection-site reactions and fever are common, particularly in infants.

Sourcing notes. Conjugate products differ in valency, carrier protein and licensed age groups and are not interchangeable, so buyers must state the valency — for example PCV10, PCV13, PCV15 or PCV20 — and whether single-dose syringes or multi-dose vials are wanted. Publicly funded programmes generally require WHO-prequalified supply. Cold chain at 2 to 8°C; never frozen, since freezing destroys the adsorbed vaccine.