US Health Advisers Back Pfizer, Merck Pneumonia Shots For Adults Over 50

A key panel of US health advisers voted in favor of lowering the age recommendation for vaccines made by Pfizer Inc and Merck & Co that protect against pneumococcal disease, clearing a path for wider use.

Members of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 14-to-1 to recommend all adults aged 50 and older get vaccinated to prevent the bacterial infections behind pneumonia and meningitis.

The group's recommendation was endorsed by CDC Director Mandy Cohen. The CDC's prior guidance for pneumococcal vaccines was for adults aged 65 and over and children under 5. The shots are also suggested for certain adults and children who are immunocompromised.

Both companies had asked the CDC to lower age recommendations to include adults 50 and up.

The wider recommendations could bode well for Pfizer, which has been struggling to find new sources of revenue amid a decline in sales of its Covid-19 vaccine and treatment. The company's pneumococcal shot, called Prevnar, is one of its best-selling products with about $6 billion in annual sales.

Merck's recently approved vaccine, however, gives Pfizer some major competition. The shot, called Capvaxive, protects against bacterial strains that cause about 84% of cases of adult pneumoccocal disease. In comparison, Prevnar works against about half of disease-causing strains.