3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on carriage of pneumococcus in the nasopharynx and on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in the community.
Prevnar (7 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine \[7vPnC\]) has been shown to be effective against ear infections in children. Prevnar 13 is a new vaccine that is similar to Prevnar. It is expected that the effectiveness of Prevnar 13 against ear infections in children will be similar to that observed following Prevnar. Pfizer has committed to conduct a postmarketing study of the impact of Prevnar 13 in reducing ear infections among children.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is complicated by high rates of infections and cancers which are often the cause of death rather than the HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus itself. Treatment of HIV with antiretroviral medications has decreased the frequency of many complications by over 90%, but bacterial pneumonia remains extremely high. Current vaccines are not very effective in preventing these infections in patients with HIV infection. The investigators are studying the cells (B cells) that make antibodies to fight infection by binding to and killing bacteria. The goal is to understand how HIV impairs the ability of B cells to make antibodies in sufficient quantity and of sufficient quality to protect patients with HIV to learn how to enhance protection against these infections. The investigators also seek to understand the role of the bacteria (specifically Streptococcus pneumoniae) that normally live in the nose and throat in the development of pneumonia and other infections.