Immunogenicity, safety, and reactogenicity of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Hemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) when co-administered with the DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine in Indian infants: a single-blind, randomized, controlled study

In India, pneumococcal diseases are major causes of child mortality, and effective vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae are needed. This single-blind, randomized study assessed the immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of the 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable Hemophilus influenzae (NTHi) protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) co-administered with DTPw-HBV/Hib in Indian infants as 3-dose primary vaccination course. A total of 360 infants were randomized (2:1) to receive either PHiD-CV co-administered with DTPw-HBV/Hib (PHiD-CV group) or a Hib vaccine co-administered with DTPw-HBV (control group) at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age. For each vaccine pneumococcal serotype, the percentage of infants in the PHiD-CV group with antibody concentrations ≥ 0.2 µg/mL one month after the third vaccine dose was at least 98.3%, except for serotypes 6B (77.7%) and 23F (89.5%), and opsonophagocytic activity titers ≥ 8 were measured in at least 95.7% of infants, except for serotypes 1 (90.5%) and 6B (84.5%). In addition, all the infants in the PHiD-CV group were seroprotected against diphtheria, tetanus, Hib, and hepatitis B or seropositive for antibodies against pertussis and NTHi protein D (except one infant). Incidences of solicited local and general symptoms were comparable between groups, except for fever (axillary temperature ≥ 37.5°C), which seemed to occur more frequently in the PHiD-CV group. In conclusion, PHiD-CV was shown to be immunogenic and well-tolerated when co-administered with DTPw-HBV/Hib in Indian infants.