| abstract |
A vaccine composition comprising an immunostimulatory CpG oligonucleotide and a Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide antigen. In one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to advantageously increase the efficacy of a commercially available pneumococcal vaccine. This is particularly important in high-risk populations, especially those that have antibody responses against sub-optimal polysaccharides. Such populations may include, but are not limited to, the elderly, patients suffering from one of the following diseases: splenectomy, congenital asplenia, hyposplenia, sickle cell anemia, cyclic neutropenia, drug-induced neutropenia, aplastic anemia, congenital agammaglobulinemia, hypogammaglobulinemia , selective IgG subtype deficiency, multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma, HIV infection, multifactorial conditions such as glucocorticoid treatment, malnutrition, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, chronic illness, hospitalization, fatigue, stress, exposure to cold, previous respiratory infection, flu, asthma. It can also include healthy adults, such as health professionals, military recruits, prisoners or others, including school assistants or travelers who wish to ensure full coverage of the vaccine. |