US FDA approves Merck's pneumococcal vaccine for adults
According to Merck, the FDA in the US has authorized its next-generation vaccine to guard against pneumococcal illness in adults. Pneumonia can result from infections caused by the illness in the lungs, among other sections of the body. The bacterium that may cause such diseases comes in around a hundred different types. In a range of adult populations across trials, Merck's vaccine, marketed under the trade name Capvaxive, assisted in eliciting an immune response against all 21 serotypes, or varieties of the bacterium, that the injection targeted. The vaccine costs USD 287 a dose at wholesale, according to the drugmaker, but most people will probably be able to get it for free if the advisors at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention routinely suggest it. Currently, Merck offers two authorized pneumococcal vaccinations: Pneumovax 23 for people 50 years of age and above, as well as Vaxneuvance for those six weeks of age and older who are at an increased risk of contracting the illness.