PPSV23 Provides Protection Against Pneumococcal Disease For Up To Six Years, Study Finds

Pharmacy Times (6/24, Halpern) reports a study found that “adults who received the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) sustained robust antibody levels for most serotypes that can cause pneumococcal disease 6 years following their receipt of the vaccine.” Study researchers observed that among participants, “geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against all 23 serotypes were found to be significantly enhanced 1 day following a single dose of PPSV23. At 2 years post-vaccination, GMCs of IgG antibodies against the serotypes remained higher than prior to vaccination but were found to have meaningfully decreased compared with 28 days post-vaccination.” The results indicate that “PPSV23 can induce long-term protection, though concerns remain given the significant decrease in antibody levels compared with those at 28 days post-vaccination.” The study was published in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics.