Beijing News (reporter Zhang Xiulan) On the evening of April 20, Pfizer, Inc. announced that the expanded age indication for its 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (PCV13) (hereinafter referred to as the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine, trade name Prevenar) had been officially approved by the National Medical Products Administration. The vaccination age range has been extended from 6 weeks to 15 months old to 6 weeks to 5 years old (before the 6th birthday).
Prevenar 13 is the world's first 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine, which has been marketed in over 160 countries and regions. It has been included in the National Immunization Program (NIP) in more than 125 countries and regions globally. As the most widely used pneumococcal conjugate vaccine worldwide, it can prevent invasive diseases caused by 13 pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, and 23F).
"Pneumococcus can cause a series of non-invasive and invasive diseases (IPD). Apart from the most common pneumonia, it can also lead to life-threatening complications such as meningitis, bacteremia, and sepsis. Pneumonia is the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years old in China," said Professor Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiology expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He noted that the clinical treatment of IPD still primarily relies on antibiotics. The proportion of multi-drug resistant pneumococcus in China has reached as high as 83.3%, and the resistance rate in children under 5 years old is significantly higher than in other age groups, posing a significant challenge to the treatment of pneumococcal diseases in children.
Professor Yao Kaihu, Director of the Microbiology Laboratory at the Pediatric Research Institute of Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, introduced, "The infant and toddler population is a high-risk and susceptible group for pneumococcal diseases. Given the serious threat of pneumococcal diseases to children's health and the increasingly severe issue of antibiotic resistance, the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed it as a disease requiring 'very high priority' for vaccine prevention. Globally, the vaccination rate for age-eligible children with PCV has reached 51%. In China, the vaccination rate for PCV13 among children under two years old remains low, with over 80% of preschool-aged children having never been vaccinated or not fully vaccinated, posing a risk of inadequate vaccine protection. Studies have shown that broader population vaccination and higher vaccination rates can effectively reduce the burden of IPD and pathogen carriage in the community, alleviating public health issues."
Proofread by Wang Xin