Keith Klugman Discusses Childhood Pneumonia at 2026 LaMontagne Symposium Keynote Lecture
The title of Dr. Klugman's lecture was "Novel Vaccines to Further Reduce Pneumonia Mortality in Children." The lecture was held April 7 on the UT-Austin campus.
L-R Gregg LaMontagne (brother of John LaMontagne), Keith Klugman, Carolyn Foote (wife of Gregg LaMontagne) and LCID Director Shelley Payne
Dr. Keith Klugman, Director of the Pneumonia Program at the Gates Foundation, delivered the 2026 LaMontagne Symposium lecture on novel vaccines aimed at reducing childhood pneumonia mortality. He emphasized that while improvements have been made, pneumonia remains a major killer of young children in low‑income countries, driven by poverty, limited healthcare access, and pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Group B Streptococcus (GBS), and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Klugman highlighted the transformative impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), which have sharply reduced disease and antibiotic‑resistant strains, and have generated strong herd protection by interrupting transmission from vaccinated children to adults. However, he noted that access to PCVs in the poorest regions has lagged due to cost, prompting efforts by Gavi and the Gates Foundation to negotiate lower prices, explore reduced‑dose schedules, and support broader rollout.
Klugman also discussed the uneven global availability of vaccines for RSV, GBS, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. While recently-available RSV vaccines have dramatically reduced disease in high‑income countries, access in low‑income settings remains limited. Maternal GBS vaccines are under development to prevent early‑life deaths from stillbirth, pneumonia, and sepsis.
The greatest concern, he said, is Klebsiella pneumoniae, a highly antibiotic‑resistant, hospital‑acquired pathogen that disproportionately kills premature infants in resource‑poor hospitals with limited infection control. Because the disease primarily affects low‑income countries, commercial interest in a vaccine has been low. Klugman concluded by expressing his commitment to advancing a Klebsiella vaccine as a central part of his legacy at the Gates Foundation.
