Drug Database
PN

pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar 7 / Prevenar / PnC + MPL)

✓ Approved

Pfizer, Inc. · Vaccine · Vaccine

What is pneumococcal vaccine?

pneumococcal vaccine is a vaccine developed by Pfizer, Inc.. It is approved for therapeutic indications via injectable (others) or intramuscular (im) injection or subcutaneous injection.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesPrevenar 7, Prevenar, PnC + MPL
CompanyPfizer, Inc.
Drug ClassVaccine
RouteInjectable (Others), Intramuscular (IM) Injection, Subcutaneous Injection
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Pfizer, Inc.

Therapeutic Indications

pneumococcal vaccine is developed for 3 unique indications across 2 therapeutic areas.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Infections and infestationsOtitis media✓ Approved
Infections and infestationsPneumococcal infection✓ Approved
Ear and labyrinth disordersMiddle ear inflammation✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedAmerican family physician2026-10-16

Primary Care for People With Alcohol Use Disorder.

Jaffe Gregory A GA, Visconti Adam A, Sonoda Kento K

Alcohol use disorder is one of the most common chronic conditions encountered in primary care. In the United States, 1 in 10 people 12 years and older had alcohol use disorder in 2024. Patients with alcohol use disorder have increased risk for complications and comorbidities in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and neurologic systems, as well as anxiety and mood disorders, trauma-related stress disorders, suicide, and unintentional injuries. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening adults with the abbreviated Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption or similar tool. Routine evaluation of patients with alcohol use disorder can include focused physical examination, blood tests, imaging studies to evaluate liver function and fibrosis, and assessment for the likelihood of developing alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Treatment in the primary care setting is effective, and all patients with alcohol use disorder should receive a brief behavioral counseling intervention and treatment or referral for treatment, if indicated. Treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions increases the likelihood of recovery from both conditions. Patients should receive routinely recommended vaccines, including the pneumococcal vaccine in those 19 years or older.

PMID 42886177
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PubMedInternational journal of molecular sciences2026-10-16

Immune Profiles Elicited by Different HBV Vaccine Modalities and Their Associations with Serological and Intrahepatic Viral Outcomes.

Xiao Huiying H, He Jinhang J, Zhu Lili L, Wang Songmei S et al.

Therapeutic vaccination for chronic hepatitis B aims to restore HBV-specific T-cell immunity and contribute to a functional cure. We systematically compared the immune profiles and antiviral efficacy of four vaccine modalities: recombinant HBsAg (rHBsAg), antigen-antibody immune complex (IC), a DNA vaccine encoding HBsAg (DNA-HBsAg), and an HBsAg-Fc fusion DNA vaccine (DNA-HBsAg-Fc). In naïve mice, the rHBsAg vaccine predominantly induced anti-HBs IgG responses, whereas the IC vaccine elicited strong anti-HBs IgG and detectable CD4+ T-cell responses. In contrast, DNA vaccines preferentially induced HBsAg-specific CD8+ T-cell immunity, which was further enhanced by fusion to the Fc fragment of human IgG1. In the pre-immunization/AAV-HBV model, high anti-HBs titers in rHBsAg and IC groups were associated with rapid clearance of circulating HBsAg but not with comparable reductions in HBcAg+ hepatocytes, whereas stronger HBsAg-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in the DNA vaccine groups were associated with greater reductions in HBcAg+ hepatocytes. However, in the therapeutic AAV-HBV model, all vaccine monotherapies showed limited and non-sustained antiviral efficacy, with only transient reductions in serum HBsAg and limited reductions in HBcAg+ hepatocytes. These findings highlight the distinct immune profiles of different vaccine platforms and an association between stronger HBsAg-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and reduced intrahepatic HBcAg expression, while underscoring the limited efficacy of vaccine monotherapy in the AAV-HBV model.

PMID 42883747
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PubMedMilitary medicine2026-10-16

The Case for Dedicated Vaccine Communication Training: A Survey of Military Pediatricians.

Auvil Daley D, Jones Katherine K, Ratusnik Rebecca R, Adams Daniel J DJ

Vaccine uncertainty is rising among families in the United States, even among military families. The ACGME mandates that pediatric residents be trained in effective communication strategies for patients and families hesitant about recommended vaccinations, yet few validated curriculum tools exist. We aimed to understand the current landscape of vaccine uncertainty experienced by military general pediatricians and see what communication strategies were routinely being implemented in clinical practice. In March 2025, 45 graduates of a mid-sized military pediatrics residency program from the years 2016-2024 who were currently practicing general pediatricians were invited to participate in a survey on vaccine communication in clinical practice. The survey was a mix of quantitative questions asking for experienced trends in vaccine uncertainty as well as open-ended questions about communication strategies being implemented. Three clinical researchers performed a manual thematic analysis of free-text answers to understand and quantify common themes. Thirty-seven general pediatricians (82%) responded, and 95% of those surveyed rated a curriculum during medical training on vaccine communication as "very" or "extremely important." Only 19% of physicians were able to recall formal training in addressing vaccine hesitancy during medical school, and only 62% during residency. The 3 most commonly declined vaccines were COVID-19, influenza, and HPV. Pediatricians reported using communication strategies focused on knowledge-sharing (65%), partnership with families (62%), and normalizing vaccines (40%). Common barriers to vaccine acceptance were mistrust and disinterest, most commonly with unwillingness to engage in a conversation. Most practicing military pediatricians who graduated from our residency program report a rise in vaccine uncertainty in their practice and agree that a residency curriculum on vaccine communication is highly important. Such curricula should encourage evidence-based communication styles using vaccine normalization while de-emphasizing the urge to combat misinformation using knowledge-sharing and should specifically address the most commonly declined immunizations.

PMID 42885154
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PubMedNature communications2026-10-16

Klebsiella-dominant gut communities are associated with impeded oral rotavirus vaccine response in infants.

Seymour Cale O CO, Ecklu-Mensah Gertrude G, Lee Yesun Y, Nicols Alexander R AR et al.

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is the leading cause of infant diarrheal death worldwide. Oral rotavirus vaccine (RVV) prevents illness and death, but efficacy differs between high- and low-income countries and the etiologies are unclear. Here, we describe the relationship between colonization of the infant gut by commensal bacteria, inflammation, and vaccine response across a cohort of infants from Panama, Peru, and the U.S. Vaccine immunogenicity was related to community composition in the first month of life and inverse to increased relative abundance of Klebsiella. Clustering communities into gut types revealed that microbiome configurations with elevated Klebsiella or Escherichia in the first month of life were negatively associated with both seroconversion and rotavirus shedding after vaccination, suggesting potential inhibition of vaccine function or host response. Infants without RVV strain shedding displayed elevated fecal calprotectin in the first month. These results implicate microbiome-augmented infant gut inflammation as a potential impediment to RVV response.

PMID 42881193
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PubMedInternational journal of molecular sciences2026-10-16

Closing the Gap: Advances and Barriers on Candida Vaccines Development in the Last Decade.

Krier Julie J, Allkja Jontana J, Viana da Costa Alexandra Mónica Bastos AMB, Silva Francisco A M FAM et al.

Invasive Candidiasis (IC) remains a critical threat to global health. Primarily caused by Candida albicans, it is increasingly driven by emerging Non-Candida albicans Candida Species (NCACs). IC typically arises from the overgrowth of commensal Candida species in immunocompromised hosts. IC accounts for an estimated 250,000-700,000 cases annually worldwide, with mortality rates between 40 and 55%, and contributes to more than 1.5 million annual deaths. Despite progress in healthcare systems, intensive care, and microbiological techniques, mortality rates remain largely unchanged. Triazole resistance is already widespread, and echinocandin resistance, while still low, is steadily climbing. The emergence of multidrug-resistant Candida auris, the growing immunocompromised population, and the absence of any antifungal vaccine collectively define this scenario as a therapeutic impasse. Given these challenges, there is an urgent need to synthesize current vaccine research to identify robust candidates and address lingering translational bottlenecks. This structured narrative review evaluates the advances and barriers in Candida spp. vaccine development over the past decade (2015-2025), structured around epidemiology and resistance; immunological framework underpinning vaccine design; antigenic targets and delivery platforms; and preclinical and clinical evidence. Key milestones included the Phase II clinical validation of NDV-3A, the first successful large-scale human trial of a fungal vaccine; the standardization of the A/J mouse model for C. auris; the emergence of multi-epitope computational platforms with >94% HLA population coverage; and cross-kingdom protection paradigms. Major obstacles included commensal-to-pathogen duality of Candida, immunocompromised host paradox, antigenic plasticity, and chronic underinvestment. Converging next-generation vaccine strategies are beginning to bridge the gap between bench discovery and clinical implementation.

PMID 42883739
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PubMedJournal of integrative bioinformatics2026-10-16

In silico approach to Helicobacter pylori vaccine design.

Mariño-Perea Simón S, Canal-Alonso Ángel Á, Chamoso Pablo P, Mezquita Yeray Y et al.

Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative microorganism, infects over half of the human population worldwide. Its extensive genetic variability and capacity to bypass host immune defences continue to impede the creation of an effective vaccine. Nonetheless, contemporary progress in computational biology and immunoinformatics has introduced innovative methodologies that can substantially support and accelerate vaccine design against this pathogen. In the present work, an in silico strategy was employed to develop a multi-epitope vaccine targeting H. pylori. The FlaA, UreB and PSA D15 proteins were chosen as primary antigens due to their strong immunogenic potential, critical roles in bacterial physiology, and comparatively low sequence variability among strains. Using advanced bioinformatics and immunoinformatics pipelines, potential epitopes for both B-cell and T-cell were identified and assembled through rational protein engineering approaches to generate the final vaccine construct. Before computational validation, the safety of the selected epitopes was predicted through toxicity, allergenticity, and non-homology to human analyses, which resulted on positive results. Furthermore, the construct's physicochemical parameters were under acceptable values, as for the population coverage. This construct was subsequently analysed through molecular docking simulations to evaluate its interaction with host immune receptors. The obtained results demonstrated that the designed molecule could accomplish stable interactions with high affinity with the immune components, supporting its potential as a viable candidate for experimental validation and subsequent development.

PMID 42885722
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