FDA approval for pneumonia vaccine

Pfizer has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use of its Prevnar 13 pneumococcal disease vaccine in adults 50 years of age and older. The vaccine prevents pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis, and other infectious diseases caused by 13 different types of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumococcal disease is a leading public health issue in older adults. In this population, there are estimated to be hundreds of thousands of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections per year, including more than 440,000 cases of pneumonia, accounting for an estimated 200,000 emergency department visits and 300,000 hospitalizations. In addition to the US, Pfizer has been granted approval for use of Prevnar 13 in adults over 50 in the European Union, Australia, Mexico and more than 10 other countries. Prevnar 13 was previously approved for prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants and young children.