Conjugate pneumococcal vaccine approved for adults over 50 years
17 January 2012
The 13-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar 13®) has been approved by the EMA (the European Medicines Agency) for prevention of invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults above 50 years of age.
It has been demonstrated that conjugate pneumococcal vaccine has an indirect effect in adults aged 50-64 years and 65+ years in the form of a decline in the IPD incidence of approx. 10% in both of the above-mentioned age groups.
The 13-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar 13®) has been approved by the EMA (the European Medicines Agency) for prevention of invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults above 50 years of age.
The approval was based on the antibody response after Prevenar 13® being equal to or higher than that obtained with Pneumovax® for the 12 types of pneumococci it shares with this previously approved 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Pneumovax® is supplied by the SSI free of charge for patients who have undergone or are scheduled for a splenectomy or who have splenic dysfunction. Furthermore, the National Board of Health has decided that Pneumovax® shall be covered by a specific subsidy for certain patient groups who are at increased risk.
For more information, please see EPI-NEWS no. 2, 2012