Pfizer: Pneumonia Shot Can Be Given with COVID-19 Vaccine in Older Adults

Pfizer Inc. has announced Phase 3 trial results of Prevnar 20, a pneumococcal 20-valent conjugate vaccine that the company hopes could be co-administered with their COVID shot. In a press release, the company said that the two shots could be administered in adults aged 65 and above, which could reduce the number of trips to a medical center.  

Pfizer’s New Pneumonia vaccine

Prevnar-20 is the next-generation pneumococcal vaccine from Pfizer that contains capsular polysaccharide conjugates for 20 serotypes. The vaccine is an improvement on the Prevnar 13, which has previously been used and includes capsular conjugates of seven new serotypes that cause invasive pneumococcal disease and are associated with high fatality rates and antibiotic resistance, the company said in its press release. 

In June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Prevnar 20 for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia in adults above the age of 18. However, with the ongoing pandemic, a study was initiated earlier in May to verify if the vaccine could be administered along with Pfizer’s booster shot for COVID-19. 

Prevnar 20 Co-administered with COVID-19 Vaccine 

The study recruited adults from Pfizer’s COVID vaccine trial who had received their second dose at least six months prior and tested if Prevnar-20 could be administered with the regular COVID-19 vaccine as well as the booster dose. According to the press release, responses seen in individuals administered Prevnar-20 along with the COVID-19 vaccine (n=190) were similar to those seen in individuals who received Prevnar-20 with a placebo (n=191). Similarly, responses seen in individuals who received Prevnar-20 along with the COVID-19 booster dose were similar to those who received the pneumococcal vaccine with placebo (n= 189). The safety profile of co-administering the two vaccine shots was similar to that seen when the COVID-19 booster is administered. 

“This new safety and immunogenicity data provide further evidence supporting the potential to administer PREVNAR 20 and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at the same time, thereby reducing the number of visits adults make to their doctor’s office or pharmacy for recommended immunization,” said Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development at Pfizer. “As the COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses continue to be administered, we believe that healthcare providers have an opportunity to talk to their adult patients about other recommended vaccines in line with CDC guidance.”

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine also received a positive recommendation towards granting market authorization by the European Medical Agency in December 2021. 

Author

Ameya Paleja