The new vaccine is a so-called conjugated pneumococcal vaccine and is intended to prevent severe pneumonia for adults.
Pneumococci are the most common cause of pneumonia and can lead to severe medical conditions.
At present, there are 97 so-called pneumococcal serotypes, which are subgroups of the respiratory bacterium.
- This respiratory bacterium is only found in us humans.
And in order for it to survive, it builds subgroups, explains Professor Lars Rombo.
There are narrower vaccines
There are already conjugated vaccines against pneumonia, these protect against ten and 13 serotypes respectively.
The new vaccine from Pfizer will protect against 20 pneumococcal serotypes.
- It is not entirely easy to make vaccines that protect against 20, it is like mixing several different vaccines.
And the more people you have, the greater the risk that they affect each other, says Lars Rombo.
The vaccine studies have largely been conducted in the United States.
But Sweden has also participated and Mälar Hospital has been the main examiner.
- Eskilstuna residents are willing to participate in vaccine studies to help science, says Lars Rombo.
Hard competition
There is competition in the area.
The company MSD recently released a vaccine to protect against 15 pneumococcal serotypes.
- It is likely that there will be a vaccine that protects against 23 serotypes eventually, but there is nothing that is in the pipeline yet, says Lars Rombo.
Pfizer's vaccine is now awaiting approval from the European Commission.