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Pneumococcal Vaccines

D E Briles¹, J C Paton², R Mukerji¹

¹Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.

Microbiology Spectrum

|December 21, 2019

Insights

Pneumococcal vaccines protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. Alternative strategies, like protein-based vaccines, are needed due to serotype replacement limiting current vaccine effectiveness.

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Immunology
Vaccinology

Background:

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a major global cause of bacterial pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, particularly in children.
Current polysaccharide conjugate vaccines effectively reduce invasive pneumococcal disease but face challenges from serotype replacement.
The existence of over 98 pneumococcal serotypes makes expanding current vaccines costly and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

To review past and present pneumococcal vaccines.
To discuss current protein antigen vaccine candidates.
To explore alternative strategies for combating pneumococcal disease.

Main Methods:

Literature review of pneumococcal vaccines.
Discussion of protein antigens as vaccine candidates.
Exploration of alternative vaccine approaches.

Main Results:

Polysaccharide conjugate vaccines have reduced disease but serotype replacement is an emerging issue.
Protein antigens offer a potential serotype-independent vaccination strategy.
Whole cell vaccines are also being considered as an alternative.

Conclusions:

Serotype replacement necessitates the development of novel, broadly protective pneumococcal vaccines.
Protein-based and whole cell vaccines represent promising avenues for future pneumococcal disease prevention.
Continued research into serotype-independent strategies is crucial for global pneumococcal disease control.

Read full analysis

Abstract:

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-Positive pathogen that is a major causative agent of pneumonia, otitis media, sepsis and meningitis across the world. The World Health Organization estimates that globally over 500,000 children are killed each year by this pathogen. Vaccines offer the best protection against S. pneumoniae infections. The current polysaccharide conjugate vaccines have been very effective in reducing rates of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine type strains. However, the effectiveness of these vaccines have been somewhat diminished by the increasing numbers of cases of invasive disease caused by non-vaccine type strains, a phenomenon known as serotype replacement. Since, there are currently at least 98 known serotypes of S. pneumoniae, it may become cumbersome and expensive to add many additional serotypes to the current 13-valent vaccine, to circumvent the effect of serotype replacement. Hence, alternative serotype independent strategies, such as vaccination with highly cross-reactive pneumococcal protein antigens, should continue to be investigated to address this problem. This chapter provides a comprehensive discussion of pneumococcal vaccines past and present, protein antigens that are currently under investigation as vaccine candidates, and other alternatives, such as the pneumococcal whole cell vaccine, that may be successful in reducing current rates of disease caused by S. pneumoniae.

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