New vaccine against pneumonia to save thousands of lives: Report

A new vaccine against pneumonia is being introduced in Africa and some other countries across the world.

The vaccine could save more than half a million lives a year globally, reports the BBC.

The Gavi Alliance, a global health partnership of public and private sectors for immunisation, says 19 countries will get the jab at first.

Gavi said it needs an extra £500 million ($800 million) annually for the next five years to meet a shortfall in immunisation for existing and new vaccines.

The pneumococcal vaccine costs £2.20 ($3.50) in Africa compared to £38 in Europe as a result of a deal between Gavi and two manufacturers: Pfizer and GSK. The roll-out in the developing world comes just a year after the same vaccine was introduced in the United States.

GSK said the discounted price is only fractionally above the cost of production. A spokesperson said the vaccine takes a year to produce and is the most technically sophisticated of all its vaccines.