Pfizer drives to eliminate diseases through vaccination
The drive to eliminate diseases globally through vaccination has gathered pace, with Pfizer, a leading manufacturer and developer of pharmaceutical medicines raising its focus on this critical category.
The company is raising its focus on getting more individuals to embrace vaccination, particularly for communicable diseases.
According to Pfizer Medical Director Kodjo Soroh, vaccines have significantly reduced the threat of diseases that were once widespread and sometimes fatal. Today, more people benefit from safe and efficacious vaccines than ever before - and the list of diseases that vaccines can help prevent continues to grow.
“Immunization is widely recognized as one of the most successful and cost effective health interventions. Pfizer’s goal is to protect lives with innovative vaccines to fight serious diseases worldwide and make vaccination against potentially deadly diseases available” said Kodjo Soroh.
In order to fulfil this desire, Pfizer will continue to deliver on its commitments to colleagues and customers, protecting lives with innovative vaccines to fight serious diseases worldwide by leveraging leading technology in vaccine design and conjugation in an effort to provide preventative solutions to these complex, difficult-to-treat bacterial pathogens.
In support of this commitment, and to help address the practical constraints experienced by health workers operating in Kenya and the East African region, Pfizer developed Prevenar 13® in the Multi-Dose Vial-MDV presentation (4 doses per vial). This new presentation will help to significantly reduce storage requirements and shipping costs in communities with health systems that are still developing.
Pfizer is rolling out the new multi-dose vial- MDV which was prequalified in accordance with World Health Organization’s ‘open container policy.’ With its ‘open container’ attributes, it allows for the fourth dose to be used for up to 28 days after the first dose is drawn and provided the recommended cold storage requirements have been met.
In April 2016, the MDV presentation received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Subsequently the MDV was pre-qualified by the WHO in July 2016.
“As we mark World Immunization Week/World Meningitis Day, let’s be aware about the critical importance of immunization bearing in mind that vaccination is a key strategy to containing Meningococcal meningitis, ensuring continued protection for the current and future generation while taking into consideration the current outbreak of Meningitis in the region,” said Margaret Olele, Pfizer Corporate Affairs Director.
To ensure the efficient use of the multi-dose vial, Pfizer is supporting Gavi countries with a refresher training of trainers program on a variety of immunization topics including the proper handling of multi dose vials with open container policy.
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