Bahrain introduces Pneumococcal vaccine

(Women gateway)

Bahrain has introduced Pneumococcal vaccine for all children under five to prevent pneumonia, lung diseases and meningitis.

Chief of Infection Diseases at the Ministry of Health Dr Mona Al Musawi said that the vaccines were available at all public health centres free of charge as part of the National Disease Prevention Programme. “We have introduced the vaccine and other three would be introduced in September, including the rotavirus that causes the death of many children under five worldwide.”

Pneumococcal vaccination is a method of preventing a specific type of lung infection (pneumonia) that is caused by Pneumococcus bacterium. There are more than 80 different types of pneumococcus bacteria-23 of these are covered in the Bahrain’s vaccination. The vaccine is injected into the body to stimulate the normal immune system to produce antibodies that are directed against pneumococcus bacteria.

This method of stimulating the normal immune system to be directed against a specific microbe is called immunization. Pneumococcal vaccination is also referred to as Pneumococcal immunization.

Six countries across Europe and the Middle East recently announced the inclusion of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in their immunization schedules

Maidenhead, 23 July 2008 - Ministries of Health in Cyprus, Hungary, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Republic of Ireland, Slovak Republic and Sweden announced their decisions to routinely immunize infants and young children against pneumococcal disease by adding PREVENAR^TM PCV7 to their national immunization programs.¹ This announcement makes it 24 countries across the world that have now included Prevenar^® in their immunizations schedules ¹

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal disease is now ranked as the number one cause of vaccine-preventable death among children under 5, causing deaths in over 1 million children per year worldwide. Children are both major carriers and victims. In addition, adults of 50 and above are at higher risk.

"We share these countries' commitment to protecting children from the potentially devastating effects of pneumococcal disease and applaud the swift action they have taken in addressing this urgent and pressing health issue," says Bernard Fritzell, Vice President, International Scientific & Clinical Affairs, Wyeth Vaccines Research, in Paris, France. "Wyeth is dedicated to the wellbeing of children and to working with other governments and agencies to further expand the access to Prevenar^®. This includes accelerating the introduction of the vaccine in those countries that have announced their decision to incorporate Prevenar^® in their National Immunisation Programmes but have yet to introduce the vaccine as part of their immunization schedule."

This is important news as pneumococcal disease results in 1.6 million deaths per year worldwide, of which up to 1 million deaths are in children younger than five years of age.2 Pneumococcal disease is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of death in children younger than five years of age worldwide ³

" Specifically, since the introduction of PCV7, into Germany's pediatric immunization schedule in 2006, there has been a 50 percent reduction in vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children younger than 2 years old compared with a pre-vaccine baseline.³ In addition, a slight reduction in vaccine-type IPD among children aged 2-5 years old, an unvaccinated group, also was documented, suggesting a potential "indirect" effect among older children who were not immunized.³ Recent data from Germany, France and the UK highlight the impact of the vaccine in countries where it is part of the national immunization schedule," says Dr Mark van der Linden, Head of the National Reference Center for Streptococci at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH-Aachen, Germany. "Consistent with recommendations by the World Health Organization, I urge all countries to consider the benefits of routine vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine."

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends priority inclusion of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in national childhood immunization programs worldwide due to the significant burden of pneumococcal disease and demonstrated vaccine efficacy.⁶ Recently, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) to WHO issued a preliminary recommendation that pneumococcal disease prevention be ranked as a very high priority on a global basis.⁶

PREVENAR^®, the only licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, is now available in 88 countries around the world, with more than 180 million doses distributed.¹

Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease affects both children and adults and is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide.⁶ Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections, including otitis media.⁷ PREVENAR^® is the first and only pneumococcal conjugate vaccine approved to help protect infants and young children against pneumococcal disease caused by the serotypes included in the vaccine.⁷

Wyeth

Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health. 

1. Data on file, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.
2. March 2007- WHO position paper
3. van der Linden M, Reinert R. Effects of the national immunization program for PCV7 on IPD in children in Germany. Poster presented at the 26th annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID).
4. Lepoutre A, Varon E, Georges S, et al. Impact des recommandations de vaccination antipneumococcique par le vaccin conjugé heptavalent sur l'incidence des infections invasives à pneumocoque chez les enfants de moins de deux ans. Institut de Veille Sanitaire. 2006.
5. Health Protection Agency (HPA): Centre for Infections. Cumulative weekly number of reports of invasive pneumococcal disease due to any of the seven serotypes present in PCV-7: children <2 years in England and Wales by epidemiological year: July - June (2003 to date). Cumulative Weekly Report IPD. February 2008.
6. World Health Organization. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for childhood immunization, March 2007- WHO position paper. Wkly Epidemiol Record 2007;12:93-104.
7. World Health Organization. Meeting of the immunization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts, November 2007 - conclusions and recommendations. Wkly Epidemiol Record 2008; (83): 1-16.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention of pneumococcal disease: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR. 1997;46(RR-8):1-24. Available at: 5236. Accessed February 14, 2008.
9. Summary of Product Characteristics for PREVENAR^®, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals,

6 countries announce the inclusion of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Ministries of Health in Cyprus, Hungary, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Republic of Ireland, Slovak Republic and Sweden announced their decisions to routinely immunize infants and young children against pneumococcal disease by adding PREVENAR^TM PCV7 to their national immunization programs.

Thursday, July 24 - 2008 at 10:19

This announcement makes it 24 countries across the world that have now included Prevenar^® in their immunizations schedules.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal disease is now ranked as the number one cause of vaccine-preventable death among children under 5, causing deaths in over 1 million children per year worldwide. Children are both major carriers and victims. In addition, adults of 50 and above are at higher risk.

'We share these countries' commitment to protecting children from the potentially devastating effects of pneumococcal disease and applaud the swift action they have taken in addressing this urgent and pressing health issue,'

says Bernard Fritzell, Vice President, International Scientific & Clinical Affairs, Wyeth Vaccines Research, in Paris, France.

'Wyeth is dedicated to the wellbeing of children and to working with other governments and agencies to further expand the access to Prevenar^®. This includes accelerating the introduction of the vaccine in those countries that have announced their decision to incorporate Prevenar^® in their National Immunisation Programmes but have yet to introduce the vaccine as part of their immunization schedule.'

This is important news as pneumococcal disease results in 1.6 million deaths per year worldwide, of which up to 1 million deaths are in children younger than five years of age. Pneumococcal disease is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of death in children younger than five years of age worldwide.

'Specifically, since the introduction of PCV7, into Germany's pediatric immunization schedule in 2006, there has been a 50 percent reduction in vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children younger than 2 years old compared with a pre-vaccine baseline. In addition, a slight reduction in vaccine-type IPD among children aged 2-5 years old, an unvaccinated group, also was documented, suggesting a potential 'indirect' effect among older children who were not immunized. Recent data from Germany, France and the UK highlight the impact of the vaccine in countries where it is part of the national immunization schedule,' says Dr Mark van der Linden, Head of the National Reference Center for Streptococci at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH-Aachen, Germany.

'Consistent with recommendations by the World Health Organization, I urge all countries to consider the benefits of routine vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.'

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends priority inclusion of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in national childhood immunization programs worldwide due to the significant burden of pneumococcal disease and demonstrated vaccine efficacy.

Recently, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) to WHO issued a preliminary recommendation that pneumococcal disease prevention be ranked as a very high priority on a global basis.

Related site: http://www.wyeth.com

Notes and media contacts

Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease affects both children and adults and is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide.6 Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections, including otitis media.7 PREVENAR^® is the first and only pneumococcal conjugate vaccine approved to help protect infants and young children against pneumococcal disease caused by the serotypes included in the vaccine.7

Wyeth

Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Prevnar wins immunisation slot

The Kingdom becomes the 4th GCC country to recognize the high risk of
pneumococcal disease to children under 5

Bahrain, 15 June 2008: The Ministry of Health in Bahrain today included Prevenar^®, the 7-valent vaccine against invasive pneumococcal disease for children under two, in the Kingdom’s National Immunization Programme(NIP). Following this action, the vaccine will be available for free to all Bahraini nationals from government hospitals and clinics.

The Ministry also recommended that all infants and toddlers in the country should be vaccinated against pneumococcal disease as the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as the leading cause of vaccine-preventable death in children under five.

With this step, Bahrain joins other GCC nations like the Qatar, Kuwait and the Health Authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which have also included Prevenar^® on their NIP’s for the safety and health of their new generation.

This is important news as pneumococcal disease results in 1.6 million deaths per year worldwide, of which up to 1 million deaths are in children younger than five years of age Pneumococcal disease is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of death in children younger than five years of age worldwide 3

“A good healthcare system is the backbone of a strong economy,” said [Name], [Designation] from [Organization]. “As we focus our growth on commerce and industry, we should not forget the people for whom all this growth taking place.”

“It is the right of every child to live a healthy and fruitful life. By including Prevenar^® in the National Immunization Programme, the government is safeguarding the future of Bahraini children against a set of diseases that are as dangerous and damaging as polio and tuberculosis,” said [Name], [Designation] from [Organization].

According to the WHO, the best way to protect against pneumococcal disease is through vaccination. Prevenar^® targets seven of the most common and serious strains of pneumococcal infection in children. In clinical trials, Prevenar^® has reduced the rate of vaccine specific invasive pneumococcal disease among children by 97%.

In light of the WHO classification of pneumococcal disease, Prevenar^® has been included in the National Immunization Programmes of over 24 countries worldwide including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and the United States.

PREVENAR^®, the only licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, is now available in 88 countries around the world, with more than 180 million doses distributed

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Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease affects both children and adults and is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide.6 Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections, including otitis media.7 PREVENAR^® is the first and only pneumococcal conjugate vaccine approved to help protect infants and young children against pneumococcal disease caused by the serotypes included in the vaccine.7

Wyeth

Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Wyeth News Release - 15th June 2008

Governments with high mortality rates could increase their expenditure as little as USD 20 to save more lives

World Health Organization(WHO) Chief Dr Margaret Chan sounded an optimistic note during the executive board of the World Health Organization reporting that incidents of child diseases has stabilized in some parts of the region and may even be declining.

According to the World Bank’s projections, Yemen, the lowest spender on healthcare with less than USD 20 per capita witnesses over 100 child deaths per 1,000 due to the lack of proper resources and vaccines. Egypt with USD 50 per capita has the second lowest expenditure on healthcare, however with a robust private healthcare system, mortality rate drops 60%. Saudi Arabia with the most mortality rates in the GCC comes in last at an alarming 30%. While Bahrain and the UAE averaging expenditure of USD 600, mortality rates drops to less than 5%.

Is life expectancy related to health care expenditure? Yemen has the lowest life expectancy of 62 years, Saudi Arabia falls again last in GCC countries with life expectancy of 71 even though they have the second highest GDP. For Saudi, Jordan, Oman and Egypt, if as little as USD 20 dollars per person was spent in healthcare, along with proper preventative measures and vaccines, child mortality deaths could drop significantly and life expectancy could increase.

Up to one million children die every year from pneumococcal disease worldwide, with higher risk to children under two; the WHO has raised the spotlight on pneumococcal disease as the number one cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under five globally. The disease is of higher risk to children under two years and elderly people over 65.

Some regional governments have already enrolled pneumococcal vaccines into their National Immunization Programmes including Kuwait, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which according to the World Bank have the lowest child mortality deaths and the highest life expectancy. Rapid reforms in the healthcare sector and the dramatic demographic changes occurring in countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have once again highlighted the importance of having a structured healthcare mechanism.

Pneumococcal disease is any disease caused by the pneumococcus (scientific name: Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacterium. It has more than 90 sub-types and causing different invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal diseases. Invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) include types of meningitis (inflammation in the brain), bacteremia (infection of the blood) and pneumonia (infection of the lung).

The disease is spread from person to person by droplets in the air (for example, when someone sneezes and coughs). Children who attend out-of-home childcare, regularly spending four or more hours a week with at least two unrelated children under adult supervision, have a greater risk of getting pneumococcal disease than children who do not. In addition, medical conditions like sickle cell disease, HIV, diabetes, pulmonary disease and asplenia increase the risk of acquiring pneumococcal disease.

The WHO had recently advised Middle Eastern governments to set their healthcare expenditure proportionate with their gross domestic as governmental expenditure in the sector is being scaled down for decentralizing and modernizing healthcare administrations. The reason being is to raise awareness for some serious diseases that could be easily prevented and/or treated.

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Number One cause of death in children under 5, the high risk also extends to adults over 50

6 May 2008, Dubai: The Preventative Medicine Department of the UAE Ministry of Health will hold a pneumococcal disease workshop for doctors on 10th of May 2008. The workshop will share information about the disease risk as well as the current rates of infection in the UAE and the region and available methods for protection against pneumococcal disease.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal disease is now ranked as the number one cause of vaccine-preventable death among children under 5, causing deaths in over 1 million children per year worldwide. Children are both major carriers and victims. In addition, adults of 50 and above are at higher risk.

Pneumococcal disease is any disease caused by the pneumococcus bacterium (scientific name: Streptococcus pneumoniae). These include serious types of meningitis (inflammation in the spinal cord and the brain), bacteraemia / sepsis (infection of the blood) and pneumonia (infection of the lung).

Speakers at the workshop will include preventive medicine experts from the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi as well as regional experts on pneumococcal disease.

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Pneumococcal disease becomes number one cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under 5: WHO

Up to 1 million children die every year from pneumococcal disease worldwide, with higher risk to children under 2

10 April 2008: The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the spotlight on Pneumococcal Disease as the current Number One cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under 5, globally. According to the WHO, up to 1 million children die every year because of pneumococcal diseases worldwide. The disease is of higher risk to children under 2 years and elderly people over 65 years.

Dr David Macintosh Medical Director, Middle East and Europe for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Ziad Memesh, Chief Executive of Preventional Medicine Department at the National Guard Hospital in Saudi Arabia and Professor Atef Shebl of King Saud University in Riyadh shared this information with distinctive doctors from Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan at the launch of Prevenar^®, the only available vaccine for infants and toddlers less than 24 months against invasive pneumococcal diseases, on Thursday, 10 April 2008.

“Like Polio and Tuberculosis before, children today are at greatest risk from pneumococcal diseases like pneumonia and meningitis,” he said. “Studies in Bahrain, UAE, Oman and KSA have shown that invasive pneumococcal disease in children under 5 years ranges between 60 to 112 per 100,000, which is higher than many other western countries.”

Pneumococcal disease is any disease caused by the pneumococcus (scientific name: Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacterium. This bacterium has more that 90 sub-types and can cause different invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal diseases. Invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) include types of meningitis (inflammation in the brain), bacteremia (infection of the blood) and pneumonia (infection of the lung).

The disease is spread from person to person by droplets in the air (for example, when someone sneezes and coughs). Children are both major carriers and victims of this bacterium and can transfer the diseases to their grandparents, causing a sizeable socio-economic impact. Children who attend out-of-home childcare, regularly spending four or more hours a week with at least two unrelated children under adult supervision, have a greater risk of getting pneumococcal disease than children who do not. In addition, medical conditions like sickle cell disease, HIV, diabetes, pulmonary disease and asplenia increase the risk of pneumococcal disease.

IPD can only be diagnosed through blood tests. There are different symptoms for different diseases. For example:  

• Bacteremia may include fever with other non- specific signs of illness
• Meningitis may include fever, severe headache, vomiting, sleepiness, irritability, seizures and stiff neck
• Pneumonia may include cough, fever, shortness of breath and chest pain

Due to the high risk burden of this disease, WHO has called to have IPD vaccination included in the National Immunization Programmes in countries across the world. The vaccine is now available in Jordan through private clinics and hospitals.Prevenar^®, the vaccine for infants and toddlers against 7 of the most common and serious types of invasive pneumococcal diseases, has reduced the rate of pneumococcal infection among children by 97% in clinical trials and post vaccination surveillance. It is available in over 92 countries and is already on the National Immunization Programmes for 24 countries including Kuwait, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the region.

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Pneumococcal disease becomes number one cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under 5: WHO

Up to 1 million children die every year from pneumococcal disease worldwide, with higher risk to children under 2

10 April 2008: The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the spotlight on Pneumococcal Disease as the current Number One cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under 5, globally. According to the WHO, up to 1 million children die every year because of pneumococcal diseases worldwide. The disease is of higher risk to children under 2 years and elderly people over 65 years.

Dr David Macintosh Medical Director, Middle East and Europe, for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Ziad Memesh, Chief Executive of Preventional Medicine Department at the National Guard Hospital in Saudi Arabia and Professor Atef Shebl of King Saud University in Riyadh shared this information with distinctive doctors from Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan at the launch of Prevenar^®, the only available vaccine for infants and toddlers less than 24 months against invasive pneumococcal diseases, on Thursday, 10 April 2008.

“Like Polio and Tuberculosis before, children today are at greatest risk from pneumococcal diseases like pneumonia and meningitis,” he said. “Studies in Bahrain, UAE, Oman and KSA have shown that invasive pneumococcal disease in children under 5 years ranges between 60 to 112 per 100,000, which is higher than many other western countries.”

Pneumococcal disease is any disease caused by the pneumococcus (scientific name: Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacterium. This bacterium has more that 90 sub-types and can cause different invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal diseases. Invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) include types of meningitis (inflammation in the brain), bacteremia (infection of the blood) and pneumonia (infection of the lung).

The disease is spread from person to person by droplets in the air (for example, when someone sneezes and coughs). Children are both major carriers and victims of this bacterium and can transfer the diseases to their grandparents, causing a sizeable socio-economic impact. Children who attend out-of-home childcare, regularly spending four or more hours a week with at least two unrelated children under adult supervision, have a greater risk of getting pneumococcal disease than children who do not. In addition, medical conditions like sickle cell disease, HIV, diabetes, pulmonary disease and asplenia increase the risk of pneumococcal disease.

IPD can only be diagnosed through blood tests. There are different symptoms for different diseases. For example:

• Bacteremia may include fever with other non- specific signs of illness
• Meningitis may include fever, severe headache, vomiting, sleepiness, irritability, seizures and stiff neck
• Pneumonia may include cough, fever, shortness of breath and chest pain

Due to the high risk burden of this disease, WHO has called to have IPD vaccination included in the National Immunization Programmes in countries across the world. The vaccine is now available in Lebanon through private clinics and hospitals.

Prevenar^®, the vaccine for infants and toddlers against 7 of the most common and serious types of invasive pneumococcal diseases, has reduced the rate of pneumococcal infection among children by 97% in clinical trials and post vaccination surveillance. It is available in over 92 countries and is already on the National Immunization Programmes for 24 countries including Kuwait, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the region.

-END-

Wyeth Submits European Marketing Authorization Application for its 13-Valent Vaccine for the Prevention of Pneumococcal Disease in Infants and Young Children

New vaccine protects against the 13 most prevalent serotypes associated with serious pneumococcal disease

30 December 2008 – Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, announced that it has submitted a marketing authorization application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for approval to market its newest pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) for infants and young children. PCV13 covers the broadest range (13 serotypes) of the various forms of pneumococcal diseases.

The pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar^® has immunized tens of millions of children and saved tens of thousands of lives in a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) had raised the spotlight on pneumococcal disease as the current number one cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under 5, globally. According to the WHO, up to 1 million children die every year because of pneumococcal diseases.

Prevenar^® is the first and only vaccine against pneumococcal disease, which is a group of illnesses, all caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, that include invasive infections such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and otitis media (inner ear infection). Most recently, the pneumococcal serotype 19A, which is included in the 13 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, has been increasing in prevalence in many regions of the world and is frequently resistant to antibiotics.

“While the incidence of pneumococcal disease has been substantially reduced since our introduction of Prevenar^®, pneumococcal disease remains a health threat to children, specifically as emerging strains, such as 19A, become more prevalent,” says Emilio Emini, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Vaccine Research and Development, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

According to a study conducted in Abu Dhabi, the incidence was much as 102 cases of pneumococcal diseases in every 100,000 children under five years of age. Studies in Bahrain, the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia have shown that occurrences of invasive pneumococcal disease are higher than in many western countries.

From January 2009, Prevenar^® will be available in all six Gulf Countries, Bahrain, Oman and KSA are adding Prevenar^® to their National Immunization Programs (NIP) joining other GCC nations like Qatar, Kuwait and the Health Authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to include Prevenar^® on their NIP’s for the safety and health of their new generations.

“Like polio and tuberculosis before, children today are at their greatest risk from pneumococcal diseases, like pneumonia and meningitis. Now that the vaccine is available; a significant drop in registered cases is expected” said Dr. Baher Masoud Medical Director of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Middle East and North Africa. “Since its introduction, Prevenar^® has had a substantial impact on public health, dramatically reducing the rate of invasive pneumococcal disease, with the potential to prevent up to 92 percent of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants and young children worldwide.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to PCV13 for infants and toddlers. Fast Track designation is designed to facilitate review of products that address serious or potentially life threatening conditions for which there is an unmet medical need.

A total of 31 countries worldwide now include Prevenar^® on their Immunization Schedule of which 24 are in Europe and Middle East. The vaccine is available for free to all nationals from government hospitals and clinics.

Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease affects both children and adults, and is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide.  Pneumococcal disease describes a group of illnesses, all caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, that include invaive infections such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and otitis media.  Most recently, the pneumococcal serotype 19A, which is included in the candidate vaccine, has been increasing in prevalence in many regions of the world and is frequently resistant to antibiotics.

Due to the significant burden of pneumococcal disease and demonstrated vaccine efficacy, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the priority inclusion of PCV7 in national childhood immunization programs worldwide.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, has leading products in the areas of women’s health care, infectious disease, gastrointestinal health, central nervous system, inflammation, transplantation, hemophilia, oncology, vaccines and nutritional products.

Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies.  It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide.  The Company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

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