Why the World Needs a C. difficile Vaccine

Richard Haupt, MD, MPH, vice president of Medical Development at Pfrizer Vaccines, explains why a vaccine to help prevent C. difficile is so needed.

Interview Transcript (modified slightly for readability):

“C. difficile infection is a very important infection, and although there have been many, many [efforts] to try and prevent C. difficile acquisition of spores through infection control measures, and there have been many, many treatment modalities that have been developed for C. difficile infection, we continue to still see a significant amount of disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes C. difficile infection as an urgent public health threat. There are as many as close to 500,000 cases of C. difficile infection in the United States every year and close to 30,000 deaths that can be attributed, or at least associated with C. difficile infection. And so, it’s a significant disease state and a significant public health burden. And the vaccine that’s being developed is directed at toxins, and if that vaccine is successful, it can neutralize those toxins and [help] prevent C. difficile infection, and so, it would be an additional way in our public health armamentarium to be able to address C. difficile infection.”