TEHRAN – Iranian scientists strive to domestically produce the two vaccines of pneumococcus and rotavirus to vaccinate all children aged one year and younger, head of the preventable diseases department of the Ministry of Health, Seyyed Mohsen Zahraei, has said.

Streptococcus pneumonia is an encapsulated bacteria with a polysaccharide capsule an essential factor in virulence. About 90 distinct pneumococcal serotypes have been identified throughout the world, with a small number of these serotypes accounting for most diseases in infants. Pneumococci are transmitted by direct contact with respiratory secretions from patients and healthy carriers. 

Infants and children in Iran are currently vaccinated against BCG, polio, hepatitis B, measles, rubella, and mumps (MMR).Stating that there are 2 types of vaccines against pneumococcal bacteria, he said that type one is a polysaccharide, which has been used in the world for years. Another type of conjugate vaccine is that these vaccines can be injected at young ages under two years, which also has good immunogenicity.

The vaccines that are currently available in the market of Iran and the world are 10 and 13 pneumococcal vaccines, which cover 10 and 13 common serotypes of bacteria, he said.

Three types of pneumococcal vaccines have been imported this year and are available in the pharmaceutical market of the country, he further added, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

He went on to note that in the budget bill of the Iranian calendar year 1397 (March 2018- March 2019), with the approval of the Majlis (Iranian Parliament), $100 million were approved to spend on the production of two pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines, which will be added to the country's children's vaccination program.

However, the domestic production of these two vaccines has not yet been completed, he lamented, highlighting that it is planned to provide the necessary fund to mass produce the two vaccines by the next Iranian calendar year (beginning March 2023) and inoculate one-year-old children and younger.

Infection by rotaviruses is also one of the major causes of childhood diarrhea with an associated high mortality rate (440,000 deaths/year) and is responsible for 25 million medical visits and 2 million hospitalizations every year, especially during the cold season.

The prevalence of rotavirus infections in Iran has been estimated as 30 -50 percent while the mean prevalence is reported to be 39.9 percent. According to a WHO report, in Iran, 42 percent of gastroenteritis are caused by rotaviruses which are estimated to have inflicted approximately 2000 and 270 deaths in 2008 and 2013, respectively.

In June 2021, the Pasteur Institute of Iran and Indian Bharat Biotech inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to transfer technical knowledge of the rotavirus vaccine, IRNA reported.

In December 2021, the Pasteur Institute announced the development of rotavirus and pneumococcus vaccines. However, it has not yet been industrialized.

BCG, polio, hepatitis B, measles, rubella, and mumps (MMR) vaccines are among the vaccines in the general vaccination package and are injected into infants and children in Iran.

FB/MG