Moraxella catarrhalis is one of the three leading causative agents of otitis media in children. This is due in part to the current immunizations of children with Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines to prevent otitis media. The proportion of otitis media caused by pneumococcal strains covered by the vaccines have decreased while those caused by Moraxella catarrhalis and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae have significantly increased. At some point during early childhood, otitis media affects more than 80% of children under 6 years of age. Otitis media can lead to deafness and language or learning deficits. In adults, Moraxella catarrhalis is a major cause of bronchopneumonia and exacerbation of existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for chronic heavy smokers or elderly patients with chronic pulmonary disease. Moraxella catarrhalis infections can be treated with antimicrobial agents; however, the emergence of antibiotic resistance makes vaccines against Moraxella catarrhalis an attractive alternative to antimicrobial drugs. There are currently no Moraxella catarrhalis vaccines on the market.

The subject technologies are conjugate vaccines against Moraxella catarrhalis. The vaccines are comprised of isolated lipooligosaccharides (LOS) from which esterified fatty acids have been removed to produce detoxified LOS or from which lipid A has been removed to produced a detoxified oligosaccharide (OS) covalently linked to an immunogenic carrier such as tetanus toxoid, and adjuvants such as alum. The vaccines can potentially be used as a vaccine component in a combination vaccine containing other pediatric vaccine components.