American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has announced that the Hong Kong Department of Health (DoH) has approved the company's 20-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV20) for active immunisation for the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia, and acute otitis media caused by the streptococcus pneumoniae in infants, children and adolescents from 6 weeks to less than 18 years of age, on top of its approval for adults aged 18 years and older.

"The updated approval of PCV20, now offers parents an additional choice to help their children fight against 20 pneumococcal serotypes in circulation," said Krishnamoorthy Sundaresan, General Manager, Pfizer Hong Kong, and Macau.

According to the Department of Health, pneumonia is the second leading cause of deaths, responsible for 31 deaths per day on average in 2023, and one of the most common causes for hospitalisation in Hong Kong. Specifically among the pediatric population, pneumonia accounts for 14% of all deaths of children under 5 years old globally, killing 740,180 children in 2019, and streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children.

PCV20 builds on the previously approved PCV13, and includes seven additional serotypes (8, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15B, 22F and 33F) shown to be associated with antibiotic resistance, heightened disease severity, invasive potential, and prevalence in pediatric pneumococcal cases.

PCV20 is Pfizer's next-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that includes capsular polysaccharide conjugates for the 13 serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) already included in Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]. The vaccine also contains capsular polysaccharide conjugates for seven additional serotypes (8, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15B, 22F and 33F) that cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), and have been associated with high case-fatality rates, antibiotic resistance, and/or meningitis.