Pneumococcal disease

Why in news?

• Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) unveiled India’s first indigenously developed pneumococcal vaccine on Monday.

What is Pneumococcal disease?

• Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus.
• People can be infected with the bacteria, or they can carry it in their throat, and not be ill.
• Those carriers can still spread it, primarily in droplets from their nose or mouth when they breathe, cough, or sneeze.
• Pneumococcal bacterium, which causes pneumonia and other serious life-threatening diseases such as meningitis and sepsis, and is estimated to cause nearly four lakh deaths in children under five years of age each year worldwide.
• Pneumococcal disease is a significant contributor under-five mortality rate worldwide.

About the new vaccine:

• SII’s pneumococcal vaccine, Pneumosil, was developed through a collaboration with the non-profit health organisation PATH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• World Health Organization in 2018 recommended the inclusion of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in routine childhood immunisation programmes in all countries.
• The new vaccine will be available in the market at an affordable price in single dose (vial and prefilled syringe) and multidose (vial) presentations.
• The vaccine also makes SII the world’s third supplier of PCVs under the pneumococcal Advance Market Commitment, and the first developing country vaccine manufacturer to access the global PCV market.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements:
1.As of 2020, Serum Institute of India is the world's largest vaccine producer by number of doses produced.
2.A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by patents.
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only 
(b)2 only 
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

 Answer to prelims question