Serum Institute of India (SII) has unveiled India’s first indigenously developed pneumococcal vaccine ‘Pneumosil’ on on December 28, 2020. The vaccine was launched by Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan
- Collaboration: The Pneumosil was developed with a collaboration of the health organisation PATH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Brand name “Pneumosil”: Serum Institute’s first Indigenous Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine will be available in the market under brand name “Pneumosil” at an affordable price in single dose (vial and pre-filled syringe) and Multidose (vial) presentations.
- Single largest infection: Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death among children under five years of age worldwide.
- Pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis: The vaccine targets the 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: Pneumococcal disease is a significant contributor under-five mortality rate worldwide. In view of its widespread fatality, the World Health Organization in 2018 recommended the inclusion of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in routine childhood immunisation programmes in all countries.
- World’s largest vaccine manufacturer: The world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by doses, Pune based Serum Institute is also the maker of Covaxin, the Indian version of the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine.
