Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, September 28, according to the Gates Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a grant of nearly $128 million to support the development and popularization of maternal vaccines against Streptococcus B (Group B Streptococcus) and respiratory syncytial virus (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), both infections are the leading causes of newborn and infant deaths in low-income countries.

There is no global vaccine against both infections, and there is little access to treatment in low-income countries. The vaccine Pfizer is working on will become a major breakthrough in the field of maternal immunity once it is successful and approved for sale. The candidate vaccine against streptococcus B may be the first vaccine to prevent infection in newborns and infants mainly through maternal vaccination during pregnancy. The Gates Foundation grant will support efforts to ensure that pregnant women in low-income countries have access to these vaccines.

Since 1990, the global number of child deaths has decreased by more than 60%, thanks in large part to vaccination. However, more than 45 per cent of deaths among children under the age of five occur in the first four weeks after birth, the vast majority of which occur in low-and middle-income countries.

■ 1990-2020, the number of deaths among children under the age of 5 showed a downward trend / Our world in data

Vaccination during pregnancy has been proved to be safe and effective. For example, the vaccine is 95% effective in preventing babies from dying from pertussis, and combined with other interventions can reduce tetanus-related infant deaths by 88%. The successful development and promotion of Japanese streptococcal and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines will contribute to the sustainable development goal of eliminating preventable deaths among newborns and children under 5 by 2030.

Type B streptococcal infections often occur before birth or in the first three months after birth, while respiratory syncytial virus is most infectious to infants less than six months old because their immune system is not yet mature to resist these deadly infections. As a result, the two vaccines currently under development will vaccinate pregnant women and pass protective antibodies to the fetus through the mother. Infections of streptococcus B and respiratory syncytial virus are particularly severe in low-income countries, where it is difficult to obtain timely and effective treatment.

It is estimated that Streptococcus B causes at least 90,000 newborn deaths and 46000 stillbirths each year, of which sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than half of the deaths. Respiratory syncytial virus kills at least 100000 babies worldwide each year, 97 per cent of which occur in low-and middle-income countries.

CTOnews.com learned that of the Gates Foundation's latest grant, $100 million will be used to support Pfizer's production of streptococcal B vaccine, phase III clinical trials and follow-up World Health Organization pre-certification. The grant will also be used to support the development of affordable multi-dose packaging to deliver streptococcal vaccines to low-income countries through public procurement agencies such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi). The foundation has previously provided a $17 million grant to support Pfizer's phase I and II clinical trials to study whether protective antibodies can be transmitted to babies through immunized mothers.

Of the latest grant, $27.5 million will be used to support Pfizer in the development of affordable multi-dose packaging to deliver respiratory syncytial virus vaccine candidates to low-income countries through public procurement agencies such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi). Pfizer will also fund this work, which will include feasibility studies, production of clinical trial materials, and trials aimed at confirming the equivalence of multi-dose packaging for low-income countries with packaging used in high-income countries.

Both grants are made in accordance with the Gates Foundation's principle of global accessibility. The principle aims to ensure that the resulting knowledge results are quickly and widely disseminated and that any resulting product is made available to the world's poorest people at an affordable price.

Over the past 15 years, the Gates Foundation has invested nearly $540 million in promoting maternal immunization, focusing on areas such as evidence generation, product development and implementation. In addition to Japanese streptococcal and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines, the Foundation supports the development of other maternal vaccines to prevent neonatal blood infections caused by bacteria other than influenza, pertussis and streptococcus B. With the support of the Gates Foundation and the cooperation of partners and grantees around the world, it is expected that more women and babies in low-income countries will have access to life-saving tools to effectively prevent diseases through vaccination.

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