Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of V114, a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, administered concomitantly with influenza vaccine in healthy adults aged ≥50 years: a randomized phase 3 trial (PNEU-FLU)

Expanded Recommendations for Use of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Among Adults Aged ≥50 Years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - United States, 2024

Before October 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended use of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for all adults aged ≥65 years, as well as for those aged 19-64 years with risk conditions for pneumococcal disease who have not received a PCV or whose vaccination history is unknown. Options included either 20-valent PCV (PCV20; Prevnar20; Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) or 21-valent PCV (PCV21; CAPVAXIVE; Merck Sharp & Dohme) alone or 15-valent PCV (PCV15; VAXNEUVANCE; Merck Sharp & Dohme) in series with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23; Pneumovax23; Merck Sharp & Dohme). There are additional recommendations for use of PCV20 or PCV21 for adults who started their pneumococcal vaccination series with 13-valent PCV (PCV13; Prevnar13; Wyeth Pharmaceuticals). The ACIP Pneumococcal Vaccines Work Group employed the Evidence to Recommendations framework to guide its deliberations on expanding the age-based PCV recommendation to include adults aged 50-64 years. On October 23, 2024, ACIP recommended a single dose of PCV for all PCV-naïve adults aged ≥50 years. Recommendations for PCVs among adults aged 19-49 years with risk conditions and PCV13-vaccinated adults have not changed from previous recommendations. This report summarizes evidence considered for these recommendations and provides updated clinical guidance for use of PCV.

PCV15, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants and children

INTRODUCTION

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a causative agent of pneumonia and acute otitis media (AOM), as well as invasive diseases such as meningitis and bacteremia. PCV15 (V114) is a new 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) approved for use in individuals ≥6 weeks of age for the prevention of pneumonia, AOM, and invasive pneumococcal disease.

AREAS COVERED

This review summarizes the V114 Phase 3 development program leading to approval in infants and children, including pivotal studies, interchangeability and catch-up vaccination studies, and studies in at-risk populations. An integrated safety summary is presented in addition to immunogenicity and concomitant use of V114 with other routine pediatric vaccines.

EXPERT OPINION

Across the development program, V114 demonstrated a safety profile that is comparable to PCV13 in infants and children. Immunogenicity of V114 is comparable to PCV13 for all shared serotypes except serotype 3, where V114 demonstrated superior immunogenicity. Higher immune responses were demonstrated for V114 serotypes 22F and 33F. Results of the ongoing study to evaluate V114 efficacy against vaccine-type pneumococcal AOM and anticipated real-world evidence studies will support assessment of vaccine effectiveness and impact, with an additional question of whether higher serotype 3 immunogenicity translates to better protection against serotype 3 pneumococcal disease.

Evaluation of the efficacy, safety and influencing factors of concomitant and sequential administration of viral respiratory infectious disease vaccines: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

There is no clear conclusion on the immunogenicity and adverse events of concomitant administration the viral respiratory infectious disease vaccines. We aimed to evaluate the impact of concomitant administering viral respiratory infectious disease vaccines on efficiencies, safety and influencing factors.

Methods

This meta-analysis included studies from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, Web of Science, WHO COVID-19 Research, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. Randomized controlled trials of the adult participants concomitant administered with viral respiratory infectious disease vaccine and other vaccines were included. The main outcomes were the seroconversion rate and seroprotection rate of each vaccine. Used the Mantel-Haenszel fixed effects method as the main analysis to estimate the pooled RRs and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, while evidence certainty was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system.

Results

A total of 21 studies comprising 14060 participants with two types of vaccines were retained for the meta-analysis. Concomitant immunization reduced the geometric mean titer (RR: 0.858, 95% CI: (0.785 to 0.939)) and the geometric mean fold rise (0.754 (0.629 to 0.902)) in the SARS-COV-2 vaccine group but increased the seroconversion rate (1.033 (1.0002 to 1.067)) in the seasonal influenza vaccine group. Concomitant administration were influenced by the type of vaccine, adjuvant content, booster immunization, and age and gender of the recipient.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis suggested that the short-term protection and safety of concomitant administered were effective. Appropriate adjuvants, health promotion and counselling and booster vaccines could improve the efficiency and safety of Concomitant vaccination.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022343709.

Comparison of pneumococcal immunogenicity elicited by the PCV13 and PCV15 vaccines in adults 18 through 49 years of age

AIM

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV13, PCV15, PCV20) effectively target the capsular polysaccharides of the most common disease-causing Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes. In this short communication, we analyzed healthy participants who received PCV13 and PCV15 vaccines as part of a recently concluded exploratory clinical trial and report antibody responses to the 13 shared serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, and 23F) as well as functional OPA responses to serotype 3.

METHODS

Sera from 87 adult participants (18 through 49 years of age) randomized to receive either PCV13 or PCV15 were collected (n = 46 or n = 41, respectively), from 17 study centers in the US. IgG concentrations of the 13 shared serotypes and serotype 3-specific OPA titers were analyzed before and 1 month after vaccination using internally validated assays.

RESULTS

At 1 month after vaccination, IgG GMCs of the 13 shared serotypes in PCV13 were similar to those for PCV15. Specifically, serotype 3 OPA GMTs and 95% CIs were similar 1 month after vaccination for PCV13 (62.9 [48.9, 80.9]) and PCV15 (71.1 [50.9, 99.2]).

CONCLUSION

In healthy participants who received either PCV13 or PCV15, similar serotype-specific responses were observed between all shared serotypes when a uniform validated internal assay was used. Of note, data from this study suggest that both vaccines induce similar functional antibody responses against pneumococcal serotype 3.

Pneumococcal Vaccine for Adults Aged ≥19 Years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2023

This report compiles and summarizes all published recommendations from CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for use of pneumococcal vaccines in adults aged ≥19 years in the United States. This report also includes updated and new clinical guidance for implementation from CDC

Before 2021, ACIP recommended 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) alone (up to 2 doses), or both a single dose of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in combination with 1–3 doses of PPSV23 in series (PCV13 followed by PPSV23), for use in U.S. adults depending on age and underlying risk for pneumococcal disease. In 2021, two new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), a 15-valent and a 20-valent PCV (PCV15 and PCV20), were licensed for use in U.S. adults aged ≥18 years by the Food and Drug Administration

ACIP recommendations specify the use of either PCV20 alone or PCV15 in series with PPSV23 for all adults aged ≥65 years and for adults aged 19–64 years with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors who have not received a PCV or whose vaccination history is unknown. In addition, ACIP recommends use of either a single dose of PCV20 or ≥1 dose of PPSV23 for adults who have started their pneumococcal vaccine series with PCV13 but have not received all recommended PPSV23 doses. Shared clinical decision-making is recommended regarding use of a supplemental PCV20 dose for adults aged ≥65 years who have completed their recommended vaccine series with both PCV13 and PPSV23

Updated and new clinical guidance for implementation from CDC includes the recommendation for use of PCV15 or PCV20 for adults who have received PPSV23 but have not received any PCV dose. The report also includes clinical guidance for adults who have received 7-valent PCV (PCV7) only and adults who are hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Pneumococcal Vaccination in Adults: A Narrative Review of Considerations for Individualized Decision-Making

Pneumococcal disease remains one of the major causes of severe disease in both children and adults. Severe disease may be prevented by pneumococcal polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines, which currently cover more than 20 serotypes. However, unlike routine pneumococcal vaccination in children, guidelines promote only limited pneumococcal vaccination in adults, and do not cater for decision-making for individual patients. In this narrative review, considerations for individualized decision-making are identified and discussed. This review identifies and discusses considerations for individualized decision-making, including the risk of severe disease, immunogenicity, clinical efficacy, mucosal immunity, herd immunity, concomitant administration with other vaccines, waning immunity, and replacement strains.

Safety and immunogenicity of a 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine coadministered with quadrivalent influenza vaccine: A phase 3 randomized trial

INTRODUCTION

Older adults are at increased risk of adverse outcomes from pneumococcal disease and influenza infections. Vaccination is an established strategy for preventing both illnesses. This study evaluated coadministration of 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) and an adjuvanted quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (QIV).

METHODS

This phase 3, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study included 1796 US adults ≥ 65 years of age randomized 1:1 to receive either PCV20 and QIV followed 1 month later by saline (Coadministration group) or QIV and saline followed 1 month later by PCV20 (Separate Administration group). Primary immunogenicity objectives were to show noninferiority of PCV20 and QIV coadministration compared with separate administration of either vaccine based on serotype-specific opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) titers for PCV20 and strain-specific hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) titers for QIV. Safety endpoints included local reactions, systemic events, and adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

Noninferiority for pneumococcal and influenza antibody responses (lower bound 95 % CI of the OPA and HAI geometric mean ratios of > 0.5 and > 0.67, respectively) was shown for the Coadministration group compared with the Separate Administration group for all 20 pneumococcal serotypes and all 4 influenza vaccine strains. Local reactions and systemic events were mostly mild or moderate in severity across groups; injection site pain was the most frequent local reaction, and fatigue was the most frequent systemic event. Mild and moderate fatigue were reported more frequently after PCV20 and QIV coadministration compared with separate administration (mild, 20.0 % vs 10.8 %-12.6 %; moderate, 12.3 % vs 8.4 %-9.6 %); this was not considered clinically significant. AE reporting rates were similar across groups, and no serious AEs were considered vaccination-related.

CONCLUSIONS

Immune responses after coadministration of PCV20 and QIV were noninferior to separate administration of either vaccine. The PCV20 safety profile was similar when given together with or after QIV. These findings support PCV20 and QIV coadministration.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04526574.

Summary of the NACI Statement on Public Health Level Recommendations on the Use of Pneumococcal Vaccines in Adults, Including the Use of 15-valent and 20-valent Conjugate Vaccines

Background

Age and certain medical/social conditions are risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). For prevention of IPD, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has recommended the 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine, PNEU-P-23, for adults 65 years of age and older and adults over 18 years of age living with certain underlying conditions. NACI has also recommended 13-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, PNEU-C-13, for adults; however, in publicly funded programs, this recommendation is limited to individuals with risk factors for IPD. Two new conjugate vaccines, PNEU-C-15 and PNEU-C-20, have been authorized by Health Canada for prevention of IPD in adults. This article summarizes NACI public health recommendations for pneumococcal vaccines in adults given these new conjugate vaccines that provide additional serotype coverage over PNEU-C-13.

Methods

Key studies evaluating the immunogenicity and safety of PNEU-C-15 and PNEU-C-20 were reviewed. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework methodology was used to assess the certainty of evidence.

Results

The PNEU-C-15 and PNEU-C-20 vaccines showed comparable immune responses, and safety profiles for all mild, moderate, and severe adverse events, to the currently used vaccines. No data were available on the efficacy or effectiveness of PNEU-C-15 or PNEU-C-20. Economic evidence and feasibility assessments supported the use of the PNEU-C-20 vaccine.

Conclusion

NACI recommends PNEU-C-20 for adults 65 years of age and older, 50-64 years of age and living with factors placing them at higher risk of pneumococcal disease, and 18-49 years of age with immunocompromising conditions, with PNEU-C-15+PNEU-P-23 an alternative.

Safety and Immunogenicity of V114, a 15-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Compared With 13- valent Pneumococcal Vaccine in Japanese Adults Aged ≥65 Years: Subgroup Analysis of a Randomized Phase III Trial (PNEU-AGE)

The safety and immunogenicity of V114, a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), was assessed in a pivotal Phase III trial in healthy adults ≥50 years of age (NCT03950622, Japic-CTI 194845). We report a subgroup analysis of 245 Japanese participants (all ≥65 years of age). Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive a single dose of V114 or 13-valent PCV (PCV13). Immune responses were evaluated at baseline and 30 days post-vaccination. Non-serious and serious adverse events (AEs) were evaluated post-vaccination through 14 days and 6 months, respectively. Proportions of participants experiencing solicited and serious AEs were comparable for both vaccines; all solicited AEs were mild or moderate in severity. Serotype-specific opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) geometric mean titers at 30 days post-vaccination were comparable between groups for all 13 shared serotypes and higher with V114 for the unique serotypes 22F and 33F. Proportions of participants with a ≥4-fold rise in serotype-specific OPA responses from pre-vaccination to 30 days post-vaccination were higher with V114 than PCV13 for serotypes 3, 22F, and 33F. V114 was well tolerated and immunogenic in Japanese adults ≥65 years of age, with safety and immunogenicity profiles consistent with that seen in the overall study population.

Trends in Adult and Elderly Vaccination: Focus on Vaccination Practices in Tunisia and Morocco

Vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) are a prevailing concern among the adult population, despite availability of vaccines. Unlike pediatric vaccination programs, adult vaccination programs lack the required reach, initiative, and awareness. Clinical studies and real-world data have proven that vaccines effectively reduce the disease burden of VPDs and increase life expectancy. In Tunisia and Morocco, the national immunization program (NIP) focuses more on pediatric vaccination and have limited vaccination programs for adults. However, some vaccination campaigns targeting adults are organized. For example, influenza vaccination campaigns prioritizing at risk adults which includes healthcare professionals, elderly, and patients with comorbidities. Women of childbearing age who have never been vaccinated or whose information is uncertain are recommended to receive tetanus vaccination. Tunisia NIP recommends rubella vaccine mainly for women of childbearing age, while in Morocco, national vaccination campaigns were organized for girls and women (up to 24 years of age) to eliminate rubella. Further, travelers from both countries are recommended to follow all requirements and recommendations in the travel destination. The objective of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the global disease burden of common VPDs including (but not limited to) meningococcal diseases, pneumococcal diseases, hepatitis, and influenza. The review also provides an overview of clinical data and guidelines/recommendations on adult vaccination practices, with special focus on Tunisia and Morocco. Some European and North American countries have concrete recommendations and strategies for adult vaccination to keep the VPDs in check. In Morocco and Tunisia, although, there are sporadic adult vaccination initiatives, the efforts still need upscaling and endorsements to boost vaccination awareness and uptake. There is a need to strengthen strategies in both countries to understand the disease burden and spread awareness. Additional studies are needed to generate economic evidence to support cost-effectiveness of vaccines. Integration of private and public healthcare systems may further improve vaccination uptake in adults.

Validation of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for Serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy (IR Biotyper; Bruker) allows highly discriminatory fingerprinting of closely related bacterial strains. In this study, FT-IR spectroscopy-based capsular typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae was validated as a rapid, cost-effective, and medium-throughput alternative to the classical phenotypic techniques. A training set of 233 strains was defined, comprising 34 different serotypes and including all 24 vaccine types (VTs) and 10 non-vaccine types (NVTs). The acquired spectra were used to (i) create a dendrogram where strains clustered together according to their serotypes and (ii) train an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict unknown pneumococcal serotypes. During validation using 153 additional strains, we reached 98.0% accuracy for determining serotypes represented in the training set. Next, the performance of the IR Biotyper was assessed using 124 strains representing 59 non-training set serotypes. In this setting, 42 of 59 serotypes (71.1%) could be accurately categorized as being non-training set serotypes. Furthermore, it was observed that comparability of spectra was affected by the source of the Columbia medium used to grow the pneumococci and that this complicated the robustness and standardization potential of FT-IR spectroscopy. A rigorous laboratory workflow in combination with specific ANN models that account for environmental noise parameters can be applied to overcome this issue in the near future. The IR Biotyper has the potential to be used as a fast, cost-effective, and accurate phenotypic serotyping tool for S. pneumoniae.