Abbott launches 14 valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-14)

Abbott’s PCV-14 valent (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine), offers broad protection, covering the highest number of serotypes, or strains

Abbott has launched its Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, PneumoShield 14, for children over six weeks of age. Abbott’s PCV-14 valent (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine), offers broad protection, covering the highest number of serotypes, or strains, as compared to existing PCV-10 and PCV-13 vaccines.

A strain refers to a genetic or structural variant or subtype of a microorganism. The PCV-14 terminology in Abbott’s PneumoShield 14 vaccine refers to the fact that this vaccine offers protection against 14 different strains of pneumococcal bacteria. A conjugate vaccine is a distinct type of vaccine that combines a part of the bacteria with a protein to make it work better. This helps the immune system recognise and fight off the bacteria more effectively, making it stronger against certain infections, which can result in severe diseases, especially among children.