New Vaccines The current pneumococcal vaccines, because they are polysaccharide vaccines, are not effective in infants and children under age 2 years. A new pneumococcal vaccine, called a conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, which can be used in infants and children under age 2 is being developed and field tested. This vaccine links the capsular sugars to a protein carrier. This step may make it possible to immunize infants because the protein-sugar complex is a more potent stimulus to the child’s immune system. Preliminary studies suggest that the vaccine will be highly effective. Research is proceeding for other types of pneumococcal vaccines but the conjugate vaccine is in the most advanced stages of development. New Antibiotics The emergence of resistance of pneumococci to commonly used antibiotics has served as an important challenge to pharmaceutical companies to ensure that physicians will have antibiotics effective against the pneumococcus. To date, more effective antibiotics like the newer quinolones have been introduced, albeit at a significant increase in cost. Other antibiotics are in development or are being tested.