Pfizer announced today that it has delivered its one billionth dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) through its partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The milestone dose was sent to Ethiopia for use in its national immunization program, aimed at protecting children from pneumococcal disease, a leading cause of pneumonia.
Pneumonia remains the largest infectious cause of death among children under five globally. Gavi, a public-private partnership, works to expand access to vaccines for some of the world’s deadliest diseases, including pneumonia, in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
In 2009, Gavi launched the Pneumococcal Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a financing mechanism that helps ensure the development and stable supply of affordable vaccines. Pfizer was one of the first manufacturers to join this initiative. Since then, its vaccines have reached 57 Gavi-supported countries, helping to protect over 300 million children from pneumococcal disease.
“Gavi’s success in immunizing over a billion children since 2000 is due to our unique multistakeholder model, where vaccine manufacturers play a crucial role. Reaching this milestone with Pfizer is a testament to our collective efforts, and we look forward to continued collaboration,” said Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
In Ethiopia, pneumonia claims the lives of more than 40,000 children under five annually. Since 2020, Pfizer has supplied over 40 million doses of the pneumococcal vaccine to support Ethiopia’s immunization efforts. According to Melkamu Ayalew, Head of Immunization at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, the billionth dose marks a significant achievement in the country’s fight against this public health challenge.
Currently, over 50% of Pfizer’s pneumococcal vaccines are provided to low- and lower-middle-income countries at a not-for-profit price, underscoring the company’s commitment to closing health equity gaps. Pfizer’s Emerging Markets President, Nick Lagunowich, stated, “While this milestone is remarkable, our work continues through initiatives like the ‘Accord for a Healthier World,’ which aims to expand access to our full portfolio of medicines and vaccines in 45 lower-income countries.”
The Pneumococcal AMC has led to significant progress in protecting children, with global PCV coverage increasing from 10% in 2010 to 65% in 2023. However, this still falls short of the Immunization Agenda 2030 target of 90%. Beyond protecting against severe illness, vaccinating more children can promote health equity, boost economic productivity, and reduce healthcare costs.
Pfizer’s collaboration with Gavi, along with the Accord for a Healthier World, reflects the company’s broader goal of accelerating access to life-saving medicines and vaccines, addressing system-level barriers, and improving health outcomes in underserved populations.
