"Life-cycle prevention system completed with Prevenar 20"

Effective for both children and adults

Serotypes included in Prevenar 20, such as 10A·15B, accounted for 54% of all major serotypes in Korea…can provide integrated prevention across all ages

With inclusion in the NIP, 'infection blind spots' are expected to be resolved…a new turning point in managing pneumococcus

"As pneumococcal infections occur in both adults and children, the need to establish a full-life-cycle prevention is growing.

 

Especially given the high mortality rates in children, the elderly, and chronic disease patients, prevention-centered management is considered important.

 

With the recent launch of 'Prevenar 20,' the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), in Korea, a vaccination strategy that does not vary by age is once again drawing attention." On November 12, Pfizer Korea held a press conference at its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the domestic launch of the pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar 20, emphasizing the vaccine's utility.

 

Prevenar 20 is the first new pneumococcal vaccine introduced by Pfizer in approximately 15 years since Prevenar 13.

 

The vaccine includes the 13 serotypes common to the existing Prevenar 13, plus 7 additional serotypes (8, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15B, 22F, 33F).

 

Prevenar 20 was officially launched on the market approximately one year after receiving domestic approval last November.

 

Comparison table for different serotypes in various pneumococcal vaccines.

Prevenar 20 can be used for ▲the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia, and acute otitis media caused by pneumococcus (serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 8, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15B, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F, 33F) in infants, children, and adolescents aged 6 weeks to under 18 years ▲the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by pneumococcus in individuals aged 18 and older.

 

Among these serotypes, 10A and 15B are the most common causes of invasive pneumococcal disease in Korean children.

 

According to a study tracking IPD in 20 domestic hospitals between 2016 and 2023, serotypes 10A and 15B were the most frequently isolated vaccine serotypes, and those serotypes included in Prevenar 20 accounted for over half (54%) of all pediatric infections.

 

Professor Dong Hyun Kim of the Department of Pediatrics at Inha University Hospital

A pneumococcal serotype analysis study conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) from July 2018 to July 2021 confirmed the same results.

 

Of the total 67 pediatric infection cases, 36 cases (approx.

 

54%) were due to the 10A and 15B serotypes included in Prevenar 20.

 

The 20 serotypes included in Prevenar 20 also accounted for approximately 51% of adult cases during the same period.

 

Professor Dong Hyun Kim of the Department of Pediatrics at Inha University Hospital explained, "In pediatric infection cases, the 10A and 15B serotypes are most prevalent, and this trend continues into adult infections.

 

" NIP inclusion reduces 'Infection Blind Spots' With Prevenar 20 recently included in the National Immunization Program (NIP), the infection management system is shifting.

 

While the existing 13-valent vaccine focused on pediatric prevention, the expanded serotype coverage now enables protection across all generations.

 

According to the healthcare big data of Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), the number of patients with pneumococcal pneumonia increased about 9-fold, from 1,063 in 2021 to 10,191 in 2024.

 

Of these, over half (51.9%, or 5,292 cases) were in infants and young children under the age of five, indicating that the primary infection remains in the pediatric population.

 

Pneumococcus is a bacterium that can reside in the upper respiratory tract of healthy people and is a major cause of bacteremia, meningitis, pneumonia, and otitis media in infants and young children.

 

It also acts as a primary cause of secondary bacterial infections following influenza, playing a significant role in other respiratory viral infections.

 

The KDCA expects that this NIP inclusion will achieve both higher pediatric vaccination rates and reduced community infections.

 

Since the introduction of the 13-valent vaccine previously resulted in an approximate 70% reduction in the incidence of invasive disease, the vaccination effect of this 20-valent vaccine is also expected to appear quickly.

 

Pfizer Korea held a press conference to commemorate the launch of Prevenar 20 in South Korea.

Song Chan-woo, Vice President of Pfizer Korea, said, "Pneumococcus is an infectious disease that has a fatal impact not only on the elderly but also on healthy children," and emphasized, "Prevenar 20 is an integrated solution that offers expected preventive efficacy regardless of age, and will contribute to enhancing the efficiency of infection management at the national level." Professor Kim said, "Over half of the confirmed invasive pneumococcal infections in Korea are caused by serotypes included in Prevenar 20," and emphasized, "Ultimately, vaccination itself is more important than distinguishing by age." Professor Kim explained, "While a 21-valent vaccine has also been developed recently, it is difficult to determine which one is superior in terms of efficacy as sufficient clinical data have not yet been accumulated," and said, "Although the vaccination schedule was changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, some aspects are not yet fully reflected in the epidemiological analysis."