New vaccination should provide better protection against pneumococci

The new pneumococcal vaccine is intended to protect adults and especially the elderly. It has been under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) since spring 2024. So far, the same vaccines have been used in children and adults. However, not all types of pathogens were covered: more than 60 percent in children up to the age of five and more than 70 percent in adults. The new vaccine contains eight additional types that have not yet been treated in adults.

In total there are about a hundred serotypes of pneumococci. In the future there will be a universal vaccine that protects against 24 to 31 types of pathogens. In 20 to 30 percent of pneumococcal pneumonias, pathogens are also present in the blood. Some patients experience chronic renal failure, and central nervous system failure is also possible. Two-thirds of diseases lead to pneumonia.

Chikungunya: “The one who walks with a curve”
A meningococcal vaccine will be launched and will be approved by the EMA in September 2024 for people aged ten years and older. Previously two vaccinations were required, now it is one.

Travelers may also be able to protect themselves against infection with the Chikungunya virus, which is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes in (sub)tropical areas. Last year the infection was also transmitted in France and Italy. Translated, the name means “the one who walks with a curve”, which is due to the fact that many patients have chronic joint problems even after a year. About half of those affected are completely healthy again after a month.

This vaccine has been approved since July 2024. Austria’s vaccination plan recommends the jab for people traveling to affected areas and who are over 18 years old. A vaccine said to be more widely effective is currently in the approval process.