PAHO, Argentina, Pfizer, and Sinergium drive local production of 20-valent pneumococcal vaccine for Latin America and the Caribbean – PAHO/WHO

The countries of the region will have access to it at competitive prices through the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds

Buenos Aires, January 15, 2025 (PAHO) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Government of Argentina, Pfizer and the pharmaceutical company Sinergium Biotech announced a joint effort to facilitate local production and regional access to 20-valent . Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20). This vaccine will help reduce the burden of pneumococcal diseases and offer greater protection to vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly.

“PAHO is committed to boosting regional production of sustainable and innovative technologies by strengthening existing capacities and our regional purchasing mechanism, the Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines,” said PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa. «This collaboration reflects our dedication to ensuring equitable access to safe and effective vaccines that prevent serious diseases and save lives,» he added.

Through this initiative, Argentina will not only benefit from the local production of the Sinergium Biotech vaccine, but the countries of the Region of the Americas will be able to access doses of the vaccine through the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds. ensuring faster vaccine rollout at competitive prices. .

The PCV10 and PCV13 vaccines have had a positive impact on the health of children in Latin America and the Caribbean. Estimates from a 2016 study on the global burden of lower respiratory tract infections showed that, following the introduction of these vaccines, cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children under 5 years of age, caused by the serotypes covered by the vaccine, increased significantly. reduced. However, an increase in infections caused by other serotypes not covered by the vaccine was observed.

PCV20, which includes seven additional serotypes compared to PCV13, is expected to further increase protection against serious diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumonia (pneumococcus), responsible for pneumonia, meningitis and other serious infections, including those related to antibiotic-resistant strains.

Pneumococcal disease remains a global public health problem. According to global estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations (IHME) in 2021, 155,000 children under 5 years of age died from pneumonia and meningitis caused by pneumococcus. Of these deaths, 3,345 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean. During the same year, pneumococcal disease caused about 243,000 deaths in adults aged 70 years and older, including 18,000 deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The PCV20 vaccine will be available for Latin America and the Caribbean starting in early 2025. It is estimated that the first doses produced in Argentina will be available around 2026. This vaccine, recommended for children under two years of age and adults over 60 years of age, is already It is being introduced in high-income countries and will also be accessible to countries in the region.

For more than 40 years, PAHO’s Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines has allowed countries in the region to make joint purchases of vaccines, giving them negotiating power and guaranteeing competitive prices, regardless of the individual demand of each country. With PCV20, countries will also be able to purchase the vaccine at a favorable price and shipments will be regional, reducing both costs and carbon footprint. Another benefit of the vaccine, compared to PCV13, is that it will be administered in prefilled syringes, simplifying the point-of-care administration process.

By contributing to the development of an ecosystem for large-scale vaccine production and distribution, the effort will help increase the region’s resilience to future pandemics and outbreaks, one of the main lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.