The Pneumococcal Vaccine Schedules (PVS) study, is a 4 year collaborative study between MRCG at LSHTM and the Ministry of Health (MoH) The study aims to evaluate an alternative schedule for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) compared to the current schedule. All resident infants (birth cohort ~10,000) in the Basse (URR) and Fuladu West (CRR) Demographic Surveillance areas are eligible for enrolment. The delivery of the study interventions began on 2nd September 2019.
Prior to the commencement of the intervention delivery, sensitisation sessions were held in villages and communities in partnership with the Regional Health Directorate staff (CRR & URR). During these sessions, parents were informed about the study and all moralities involved.
The PVS team held fully funded in-service meetings for MoH staff in the URR and CRR on 31st August and 1st September 2019 respectively. The rationale of the study, its procedures and the scope of the collaboration between the MoH and MRCG at LSHTM was once again reiterated to the MoH staff participating in the study.
The PVS study will assist with the clinical care of children at all the health facilities in the study area as well as supporting the EPIs to deliver the two different schedules.
The results of the PVS study will inform global policy on the scheduling of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination. The PVS study is funded by the MRC (UK), Wellcome, UKAID, NIHR Joint Global Health Trials scheme and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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