Wyeth’s Prevenar added to Saudi Arabia’s childhood immunization program

Wyeth has reported that its Prevenar has been added to Saudi Arabia’s national childhood immunization program to help protect infants and young children from pneumococcal disease – said to be the leading cause of vaccine-preventable death in children younger than five years of age worldwide.

Prevenar is now included in the national immunization programmers (NIPs) of 35 countries worldwide. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Oman included Prevenar as part of their NIP in 2009.

Other NIPs initiated this year include Turkey and Sweden. South Africa, which initiated a national immunization program in September 2008, plans to implement it nationwide on April 1, 2009 covering more than one million children born in 2009. Of the 35 countries now including Prevenar on their NIP, 25 are in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which encompasses more than seven million children born each year.

David McIntosh, medical director of infectious disease and vaccines in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Wyeth, said: Wyeth is pleased that 35 countries now share in the commitment to help protect current and future generations from pneumococcal disease – an urgent and pressing health issue.

As a result, nearly 15 million children born this year will have the benefit of protection with Prevenar. Since its introduction, Prevenar has had a substantial impact on public health, dramatically reducing the rate of invasive pneumococcal disease where it is routinely used.