August 25-29, 2023, Pfizer (Vietnam) Limited Company and Centre for Health Professionals Training (University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City) collaborated to organize a series of scientific symposia on 25-29 August 2023 with international scientists entitled “Pneumococcal Disease Prevention: Understanding the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines – Recommendations to Protect Children.”, aiming to share new knowledge to healthcare professionals in Vietnam.The symposia were accompanied by two leading professors of infectious diseases and pediatrics in the world, Prof. Ron Dagan from Israel and PhD. Mark van der Linden from the Netherlands, who presented about the developing trends of polyvalent vaccines along with highlighting the value of pneumococcal vaccines to patients and society at large. The series of scientific symposia was honored to have the attendance of more than 1,800 health care professionals from across the country majoring in pediatrics and prevention, as well as many leading experts in infectious diseases nationwide:

• Associate Professor. Doctor Tran Minh Dien - Director of Central Children's Hospital
• Associate Professor. Doctor Phung Nguyen The Nguyen - Head of Pediatric Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy HCMC
• Associate Professor. Doctor Cao Huu Nghia - Head of Biomedical Science Department, Pasteur Institute, Ho Chi Minh City
• Doctor Truong Huu Khanh - Vice President of the Infectious Diseases Association of Ho Chi Minh City
• Specialist Doctor I Bach Thi Chinh - Director of Medical VNVC
• PhD. Dr. Le Khac Bao - Deputy Head of Respiratory Department, Gia Dinh People's Hospital

 Professor Ron Dagan, Distinguished Professor, Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases gave a speech at the the series of scientific symposia with top international scientific.

In the past, the global pandemic SARS-CoV-2 was an alarm bell about the outbreak of dangerous diseases, which can be emerging diseases, possibly seasonal epidemics, or dangerous infections. In addition to other preventive measures, the role of vaccines is extremely important to limit the spread, reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Pneumococci - one of the most dangerous pathogens in both children and adults - can be actively prevented with vaccines.

The series of scientific symposia marked an important milestone for the long-term companionship among the Centre For Health Professionals Training (Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy), Pfizer Vietnam, and health care professionals nationwide aiming to protect public health through updating scientific advances in management and prevention of pneumococcal diseases. With the updates, health care professionals will have more comprehensive insights and give patients the most up-to-date and accurate medical advice.

The serial event has the participation of Associate Professor. Doctor Cao Huu Nghia - Head of Biomedical Science Department, Pasteur Institute, Ho Chi Minh City.

The serial event consisted of 5 symposia held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from August 25-29. With the participation of more than 1,800 HCPs nationwide both online and onsite, the symposia aimed to update, share, and discuss on:

1. Burden of pneumococcal disease in children and adults.
2. Real world data: Serotype change after PCV vaccination and experience in deploying PCV vaccination in other countries around the world.
3. Sharing experience from local and international experts on the role of PCV vaccine in the prevention of pneumococcal disease.

In the symposia, Professor Ron Dagan, Distinguished Professor, Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, said: “Pneumococcus is a dangerous agent and fortunately there has been a vaccine to prevent it since 2000. In addition to preventing dangerous diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae such as Pneumonia, Meningitis, sepsis or Otitis media, PCV had a significant impact in preventing otitis media caused by NTHi (Haemophilus influenzae of unspecified type) according to many studies around the world. In Israel, we had research and conclusions. In other words, when children's ears, which are protected by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, are not infected by pneumococcal disease, NTHi will not have a chance to attack.”

Besides, Doctor of Philosophy Mark Peter Gerard van der Linden, researcher at the Reference Laboratory for Streptococci at the University Hospital RWTH in Aachen, Germany shared: " Real life data have shown, that cross-protection of serotypes in PCVs is rarely functional, with the only reasonable levels of protection observed within serogroup 6. However, direct protection is still prioritized over the potential for cross-protection. Therefore, the development trend of conjugate vaccines is increasingly consisting of more serotypes(5)"

Doctor of Philosophy. Mark van der Linden gave a speech at the the series of scientific symposia with top international scientific.

Assoc. Prof. Cao Huu Nghia - Head of Biomedical Science Department, Pasteur Institute HCMC: “Vaccination is one of the safest and most effective ways to prevent infectious diseases, not only for children but also for adults.

Mr. Darrell Oh, General Director of Pfizer Vietnam, said: “At Pfizer, we have made great effort to help Vietnam solve the challenges of disease prevention and treatment for years. We believe that fostering collaboration across public and private stakeholders will help accelerate the ability of the health care system to respond to current healthcare challenges like Pneumococcal disease. We are proud of Pfizer's mission “Breakthroughs that change patients' lives”, launching the world's first Pneumococcal vaccine, the breakthrough Covid vaccine etc. and we will continue follow our business principal “Science will win”.

This series of pneumococcal scientific symposia, especially with the participation of international leading experts - is a clear commitment of Pfizer's efforts in the mission of accompanying, supporting, and providing up- to- date scientific knowledge, medical advancements to Vietnamese health care professionals. We remain steadfast in taking part in the process of protecting and looking after the community's health, towards a healthier Vietnam.”

1. Dagan et al et al, Lancet Infect Dis, 16:480-92, 2016
2. Thông tin kê toa PCV13, LPD Date: 26 Feb 2021, đã được Bộ Y tế phê duyệt
3. Park IH, Moore MR, Treanor JJ, et al. Differential effects of pneumococcal vaccines against serotypes 6A and 6C. J Infect Dis. 2008;198:1818-1822.
4. Whitney CG, Pilishvili T, Farley MM, et al. Effectiveness of seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against invasive pneumococcal disease: a matched case-control study. Lancet. 2006;368:1495-1502.
5. Kyaw MH, et al. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:1455-1463
6. World Health Organization. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in Infants and Children Under 5 years of age: WHO position paper – February 2019. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2019;94(8):85-104
7. Bergenfelz C, Hankansson AP. Curr Otorhinolanryngol Rep 2017; 5:115-124​
8. Thông tin kê toa PCV13, LPD Date: 26 Feb 2021, đã được BYT phê duyệt
9. Chi H, Chiu NC, Huang FY, Hsu CH, Lee KS, Huang LM, Hsieh YC. Acute otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A ST320 clone: epidemiological and clinical characteristics. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2018 Jun;51(3):337-343. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2016.08.002. Epub 2016 Dec 19. PMID: 28087317
10. Ben-Shimol S, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2016;63(5):611-618.

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Disclosure Notice 
The information contained in this release is as of September 8, 2023. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

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