FDA approves new pneumococcal vaccine for children

This Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a new Pfizer conjugate vaccine. for the prevention of invasive PCV20 pneumococcal infection in infants and children aged six weeks to 17 years, pharmaceutical sources report.

According to the announcement is PREVNAR 20 for the prevention of vaccine-containing invasive pneumococcal infection in infants and children aged six weeks to 17 years, and for the prevention of otitis media in infants aged six weeks to five years due to the seven original serotypes contained in PREVNAR.

This new vaccine includes seven additional serotypes that were not included in the previous one (PCV13) to protect against pneumococcal infections, including those associated with antibiotic resistance.

According to Alejandra Gurtman, Pfizer’s senior vice president of vaccine research and development, PCV20 “provides broader protection against pneumococcal disease than any other pediatric conjugate vaccine.”

This new vaccine also prevents otitis media (inflammation of the middle part of the ear) in children aged six weeks to five years, caused by the seven original serotypes included in today’s approved formula.

Invasive pneumococcal infection is a serious infection caused by pneumococcus that can present in a variety of ways.from lung infection to paranasal infection or blood, among others.

In the United States, there continues to be a significant burden of disease associated with serotypes not included in currently approved pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs).

According to the lab, PREVNAR 20 is based on the Pfizer-approved PREVNAR 13 vaccine and includes seven additional serotypes (8, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15B, 22F, and 33F) that have been shown to be associated with antibiotic resistance, increased disease severity, invasive potential and prevalence of pneumococcus in children.