Potential conflicts of interest.
M. W., Q. C., C. D., K. G., G. T., T. Sterling, S. M. P., T. Shekar, and U. K. B.
are employees of MSD, and may hold stock in Merck & Co, Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. L.
M. was an employee of MSD at the time of the study and may hold stock in Merck & Co,
Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. L. M. is a co-inventor of a dozen patents related to the development
of several pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, including the one being evaluated in this
study. O. A. C. reports grants or contracts from Amplyx, Basilea, BMBF, Cidara, DZIF,
EU-DG RTD (101037867), F2G, Gilead, Matinas, MedPace, MSD, Mundipharma, Octapharma,
Pfizer, and Scynexis (payments all made to the University Hospital of Cologne); consulting
fees from Abbvie, Amplyx, Biocon, Biosys, Cidara, Da Volterra, Gilead, IQVIA, Janssen,
Matinas, MedPace, Menarini, Molecular Partners, MSG-ERC, Noxxon, Octapharma, Pardes,
Pfizer, PSI, Scynexis, and Seres (all payments to the author); honoraria for lectures
from Abbott, Abbvie, Al-Jazeera Pharmaceuticals, Astellas, Gilead, Grupo Biotoscana/United
Medical/Knight, Hikma, MedScape, MedUpdate, MSD, Mylan, Noscendo, Pfizer, and Shionogi
(all payments to the author); payment for expert testimony from Cidara; participation
on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board from Actelion, Allecra, Cidara,
Entasis, IQVIA, Janssen, MedPace, Paratek, PSI, Pulmocide, Shionogi, and The Prime
Meridian Group; a patent at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DE 10 2021 113
007.7: German patent [“Geschlossene Inkubationssysteme mit verbessertem Atemwegszugang
für Untersuchungsvorrichtungen”] filed by the University of Cologne and the listing
author as 1 of 3 inventors); and stocks from CoRe Consulting and stock or stock options
from EasyRadiology. O. A. C. also reports other financial or nonfinancial interests
with DGHO, DGI, ECMM, EHA, ISHAM, MSG-ERC, and Wiley (Chair Infectious Diseases Working
Party [DGHO], Chair SWG Infections in Hematology [EHA], Advisory Committee Member
[DGI], Educational Officer [ECMM], Treasurer [ISHAM], Board of Directors Member [MSG-ERC],
Editor-in-Chief for Mycoses [Wiley]). R. D. has received grants/research support from
Pfizer, MSD, and Medimmune (to Ben Gurion University); has been a scientific consultant
for Pfizer, MeMed, MSD, and Biondvax (Pfizer and MSD fees to ISRAVAX); has served
on advisory boards of Pfizer, MSD, and Biondvax; has been a speaker for Pfizer, MSD,
Sanofi Pasteur, and GSK (payment or honoraria to ISRAVAX); and reports payment for
expert testimony from Pfizer to ISRAVAX. P. R. has served on vaccine advisory boards
for MSD (Pneumococcal Vaccine Scientific Advisory Board March 2020, ongoing; institutional
payments; no personal remuneration and RSV Monoclonal Antibody Scientific Advisory
Board May 2022–February 2023; institutional payments; no personal remuneration), Pfizer
(Meningococcal Vaccine Advisory Board November 2020, ongoing; institutional payments;
no personal remuneration; and RSV Vaccine Advisory Board December 2022; institutional
payments; no personal remuneration), and GlaxoSmithKline (RSV Scientific Advisory
Board May 2021; institutional payments, no personal remuneration; and Meningococcal
Vaccines Advisory Boards March 2021 to May 2023; institutional payments, no personal
remuneration); received institutional grant funding from GlaxoSmithKline and MSD outside
the submitted work (MSD: investigator-initiated research grants to Institution 2021
on RSV and pneumococcal diseases, no personal remuneration); and reports payment or
honoraria from GlaxoSmithKline for lectures on meningococcal disease and vaccines
October 2021 to October 2022; institutional payments, no personal remuneration; support
to attend the International Society for Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases Conference,
Toronto, Canada, June 2022, to present at the Pneumonia Symposium from GlaxoSmithKline
and to attend the Meningococcal Advisory Board meeting, Madrid, Spain, November 2022,
from Pfizer. U. K. B. reports support for attending meetings and/or travel as an employee
of MSD. P. L. reports consulting fees paid to their institution from Moderna; payment
or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speaker’s bureaus, manuscript writing, or
educational events from Moderna and MSD (payment to institution); and participation
on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board for MSD for a completely different
topic (CMV) (paid to the author). J. M. reports consulting fees from Gilead Sciences,
Mundipharma, F2G, and Pfizer, Inc (paid to the author); payment or honoraria for lectures,
presentations, speaker’s bureaus, manuscript writing, or educational events; and support
for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead Sciences, Mundipharma, and F2G (paid
to the author). K. M. M. reports grants or contracts and payment for honoraria for
lectures, presentations, speaker’s bureaus, manuscript writing, or educational events
from MSD; and participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board for
Micrologics (purchased by Ferring Pharmaceuticals). S. N. reports consulting fees
from Abbvie, AstraZeneca, Kite, Janssen, Lilly, Roche; payment or honoraria for lectures,
presentations, speaker’s bureaus, manuscript writing, or educational events from Abbvie,
AstraZeneca, Kite, Takeda, Janssen, Novartis, and MSD; support for attending meetings
and/or travel from Abbvie, AstraZeneca, Kite, Janssen, and Novartis. M. W. reports
support for attending meetings and/or travel as an employee of MSD. All other authors
report no potential conflicts.
All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of
Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript
have been disclosed.