EE.UU. approves vaccine conjugate against Pneumococcus in over 50 years

-approved organic in the United States.UU. protects against 13 serotypes of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, which causes diseases as pneumonia and disease invasive.

-only in United States, estimated Pneumococcus causes approximately 440,000 cases of pneumonia and 300,000 hospitalizations to year.

-in Colombia, the indication for adults was approved by the Invima in 2011 for pneumococcal disease (including pneumonia invasive and) (the invasive disease).

Bogotá, February 2012. The administration of food and United States drugs (FDA) approved the use of the vaccine conjugate against 13 serotypes of the bacterium Pneumococcus in adults over age 50.

Approval was obtained in the United States.UU in the form of accelerated process given the potential of the vaccine in reducing pneumococcal disease in adults and particularly the pneumococcal pneumonia, its main manifestation.

The indication for adult pneumococcal vaccine against 13 serotypes of Pneumococcus bacteria has already been adopted in Canada, the European Union, Australia, Mexico, Colombia and 10 countries.

The FDA approved this biological analysis studies of immunogenicity and safety which included 6,000 adults over age 50 with or without other diseases.

The announcement will allow that in future a greater number of patients are protected against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, pneumonia (lung infection) and disease invasive (infection caused by the multiplication of bacteria in different parts of the body, such as blood)(, deep muscle and fat tissue).

Pneumococcal diseases represent a serious public health problem, even in developed countries, where citizenship is oldest ever and, therefore, prone to have his weakened immune system. It is estimated that each year are recorded, only in United States, approximately 440,000 cases of pneumonia and 300,000 hospitalizations.

According to Karen Midthun, MD, Director of the Center for the evaluation and research of the FDA biological pneumococcal disease are a significant cause of illness and death ” and adoption announced by the Agency provides additional vaccine to prevent this type of pathology ”.

For his part, Thomas M. File Jr., President-elect of the National Foundation for infectious diseases of United States, believes that the inclusion of the medicine biological as part of routine care of older adults is a very important strategy to achieve a more healthy aging.