Septicaemia, or blood poisoning, and pneumonia caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium pose a significant risk to the health of elderly people. The Department of Vaccines has launched an extensive clinical research programme to develop an improved pneumococcal vaccination better suited to elderly people.
Before studying the actual clinical efficacy of a new experimental vaccine, we are conducting an epidemiological study (Finnish Community-Acquired Pneumonia (FinCAP) epidemiological study) to gather data and fine-tune methods for the later stages of the research programme. This two-year study has started in May 2005.
In autumn 2003, the first clinical vaccine study of this project was launched in Nokia, Finland. The current pneumococcus polysaccharide vaccine was administered to 600 persons above the age of 65, and their response to a single dose of the current vaccine will be monitored for three years. Those with the least positive response will later be offered the new experimental vaccine, and the response to the new vaccine will then be studied in the group that produced the smallest amount of antibodies.
At the first visit of the vaccine study we have also collected samples from healthy persons above the age of 65 to determine nasopharyngeal carriage, blood PCR and urine antigen. These test results will be used in subsequent studies to compare the samples taken from the respiratory infection patients.
Another clinical vaccine study has been started in June