WHO approves procurement of pneumonia vaccine

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted pre-qualification status to children’s pneumonia vaccine, PCV-13, paving the way for procurement of the vaccine by UNICEF, govts and other organisations for use in national immunisation programmes in Pakistan.

The pneumonia vaccine, which protects against 13 different disease-causing strains is an advanced version of the original PCV-7 vaccine. The vaccine protects against pneumococcal diseases like bacteremia (sepsis), pneumonia (lung infection), meningitis (inflammation of meninges) and otitis media (middle-ear infections). The popular 7-valent vaccine is now being replaced by its 13-valent version, providing broadest and most prevalent coverage against the pneumococcal diseases.

Till date the 13-valent vaccines has been approved for use in infants and young children in more than 60 countries and it has been included in national immunisation programmes in around 15 countries. Pneumococcal disease affects both children and adults and, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. It is a leading cause of death and illness worldwide. WHO estimates that pneumococcal disease results in up to 1 million deaths each year in young children worldwide.