Pfizer Donates Vaccines to Orphans

Pfizer's factory in Hsinchu is the largest in all of Taiwan, and also the only pharmaceutical factory owned by a multinational company. This factory obviously creates a massive amount of jobs, but also has helped to increase Taiwan's profile in the global health care consumer and pharmaceutical markets. Year after year, this facility has enhanced its production capacity and supplied first class human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, along with nutritional products and some of the best known medications, such as Centrum, Stresstabs, Caltrate, Robitussin, and prescription meds like Norvasc, Lipitor, Viagra, Prevenar and Enbrel.

However, Pfizer's contribution to Taiwan does not end there. Earlier this year, and in the face of the invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae that has swept through the country, Pfizer donated 140 doses of Prevenar 13 vaccine to children in an orphanage in Tainan that had not received subsidiary vaccination from the government. Tainan is the fifth largest city in Taiwan and is no strange to adversity, but it is also known for its resilience which earned it the moniker of City of the Phoenix. The Tainan Baby Home takes care of children two years and under, many of which were born prematurely and underweight, and thus lacking immunity.

Pfizer, showing that the best pharmacy is not the one with more drugs or lower prices but the one that does right by society, has been a constant supporter of the Home, and their recent donation ensures that the children are thoroughly protected. Two serotypes of the invasive S. pneumoniae, 19A and 3, have caused 50% of infections. The Prevenar 13 vaccine became publicly available in April, and its serotype coverage is the amplest of all currently available pneumococcal aconjugate vaccines. Statistics show that he number of invasive S. pneumoniae-infected babies under two years have considerably decreased.