Better vaccines for preventing pneumonia and other chest infections

The most common cause of pneumonia is bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. This bacterium not only causes pneumonia but can also cause flare-ups of other lung conditions like COPD and bronchitis. Vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae exist but are expensive, offer limited protection against the development of pneumonia and are not effective against all forms of the bacteria.

Dr Brown and his team intend to test new types of vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae to see whether they are more effective than those currently used. They will also investigate how these vaccines work and whether combinations of several vaccines are more effective than a single vaccine.

Amount awarded: £110,605
Relevant disease area(s): Pneumonia, acute bronchitis, COPD, bronchiectasis
Relevant age group(s): All