The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) has recommended expanding the use of certain pneumococcal vaccines. This includes recommending Pfizer’s PREVNAR 20® (20-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) for all adults aged 50 and older. This recommendation awaits final approval from the CDC director and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The committee emphasized that this expanded recommendation represents a significant step towards reducing the burden of pneumococcal disease. PREVNAR 20 offers protection against the serotypes responsible for most invasive pneumococcal disease cases in this age group, including serotype 4, which has recently increased in some U.S. populations.
In the U.S., the 20 serotypes included in PREVNAR 20 are estimated to cause a significant number of deaths and illnesses annually in adults aged 50 to 64. This includes invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases like bacteremia, meningitis, and community-acquired pneumonia. Between 2018 and 2022, over half of IPD cases in this age group were caused by these specific serotypes.
PREVNAR 20 is Pfizer’s latest pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It includes the 13 serotypes found in Prevnar 13® plus seven additional serotypes known to cause IPD. These additional serotypes are associated with high fatality rates, antibiotic resistance, and meningitis.
PREVNAR 20 was previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults aged 18 and older to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal pneumonia. More recently, the FDA approved updated information regarding PREVNAR 20’s coadministration with an influenza vaccine (Fluad Quadrivalent) in adults 65 and older.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
