CDC Recommends Expanded Use of Prevnar 13 Vaccine
- By BSTQ Staff
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is recommending the expanded use of Pfizer’s Prevnar 13 vaccine for adults aged 19 and up with HIV, cancer, advanced kidney disease and other conditions that compromise the immune system. The vaccine, which prevents pneumococcal pneumonia or invasive disease, is not approved for the age 6 to 49 demographic, and while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine for adults age 50 and older back in December, ACIP has yet to recommend it for older adults. According to an article in the June 20, 2012, edition of the Chicago Tribune, observers believe ACIP is waiting for results from a trial of more than 84,000 individuals aged 65 and older to be released in 2013 before making a recommendation.
