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Adverse event reporting can be found at the bottom of the page
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Prescribing Information and information on adverse event reporting can be found at the bottom of the page.
Conjugate vaccines are a type of subunit vaccine, which are made from components of a pathogen, incapable of causing disease but specifically selected to help stimulate an immune response.1 Other examples of subunit vaccines also include polysaccharide vaccines and protein-based vaccines.
When a polysaccharide is attached, or conjugated, to something else, a stronger immune response can be generated than with just the polysaccharide2, this is known as a conjugate vaccine. In a conjugate vaccine, the polysaccharide component is attached to a protein to help the immune system recognise and respond to the sugar on the bacteria.3
Why vaccinate with a Conjugate Vaccine?
In a conjugate vaccine, the polysaccharide antigens are conjugated to a carrier protein3 which enables the antigens to be delivered to cells that they would not be able to access without the protein.3 Once these antigens are taken up and presented, an immune response is initiated.
The immune response to a conjugate vaccine is more favourable than without the conjugate protein as the conjugated carrier protein induces a T cell-dependent response, which facilitates the production of memory B cells.4
This generation of memory B cells elicits immune memory, which supports a booster response to re-exposure to pathogens, such as pneumococcal bacteria. Therefore the production of new memory B cells in response to conjugate vaccines may provide long term immunity.4,5
Pfizer's Conjugate Vaccines
Pfizer currently offers three conjugate vaccines.
Two are polysaccharide conjugate vaccines for active immunisation for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae 6,7: APEXXNAR®▼(pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (20-valent, adsorbed)) for adults & Prevenar 13® (pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (13-valent, adsorbed)) from 6 weeks.
The other is a conjugate meningococcal vaccine for active immunisation against invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y8 : Nimenrix® (meningococcal Groups A, C, W-135 and Y conjugate vaccine) from 6 weeks.
APEXXNAR®▼ (20 valent, adsorbed) is built on the foundation of Prevenar 13® (13-valent, adsorbed), adding 7 serotypes to Prevenar 13 to deliver the most serotypes in a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.6,7 Visit our brand pages to find out more about these vaccines.
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Prescribing Information
Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search
for MHRA Yellow Card in Google Play or Apple App Store
Adverse events should also be reported to Pfizer Medical Information on 01304 616161
To access further materials, resources and receive communication about medicines and vaccines promoted by Pfizer.
This site is intended only for healthcare professionals resident in the United Kingdom. If you are a member of the public wishing to access information on a specific medicine, please visit www.medicines.org.uk/emc
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and Wales under No. 526209 with its registered office at Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9NJ
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These pages are not intended for patients or for members of the general public. The healthcare professional web pages contain promotional content.
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If you select 'No', you will be redirected to Pfizer.co.uk where you will be able to access reference information on Pfizer's prescription medicines.
*The ABPI Code definition for healthcare professional is members of the medical, dental, pharmacy and nursing professionals and any other persons who in the course of their professional activities may administer, prescribe, purchase, recommend or supply a medicine.
PP-PFE-GBR-3863. November 2021