The approval will increase MMR vaccine choices in the US.
Priorix (Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine, Live) can be given as two doses. It can also be administered as the second dose in children who were inoculated with first dose of another MMR-containing vaccine.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every child should receive two doses of MMR vaccine.
The first dose should be administered at 12 through 15 months of age, followed by the second dose at four through six years of age.
Currently, Priorix is licenced in more than 100 countries including all European nations. Around 800 million doses of the vaccine were also distributed to date.
GSK US Vaccines head and senior vice president Judy Stewart said: “We’re proud to make Priorix available in the US for the first time, adding a choice for providers to help protect patients against these highly-contagious diseases and to further strengthen offerings in our paediatric vaccine portfolio.”
Measles, mumps and rubella are highly contagious viral diseases. In the recent years, sporadic outbreaks of measles have occurred in the US and globally, disrupting the progress made towards eliminating the disease in many countries.
Meanwhile, child vaccination rates in the US have also dropped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
GSK US Medical Affairs Vaccines Therapeutic Area head and vice-president Temi Folaranmi said: “Outbreaks of measles in recent years demonstrate how quickly diseases can return without widespread immunisation. Missed vaccinations during the pandemic makes children even more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases like measles.
“Making Priorix available to patients in the US will ensure health care professionals have more than one option for this critical vaccine as they work to catch their patients up on recommended vaccinations.”