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American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has announced that the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) that protects against invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia caused by 20 Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) serotypes.
Marketed under the brand name APEXXNAR, this vaccine is approved for active immunisation for individuals aged 18 years and older, advancing the company's ongoing commitment to help prevent certain potentially-serious infectious respiratory diseases.
The approval of APEXXNAR in Singapore, being the first in Southeast Asia, supports Singapore's Healthier SG initiative that focuses on improving population health and quality of life through proactive preventive care, regular screening and recommended vaccinations.
According to the Singapore Ministry of Health, pneumonia is the fourth most common cause for hospitalisation and third leading cause of death, responsible for more than 4000 deaths annually. Singapore continues to face a rising burden of the disease in light of the increasing prevalence of new infectious variants and a rapidly ageing population.
