Singapore first country in Asia to get new pneumococcal vaccine

For seniors, the recommendation is to get the PCV13 vaccine first, followed by the PPSV23 a year later. - The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE, March 19 (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore will be the first country in Asia to get Pfizer’s new pneumococcal vaccine, which has a broader range of protection and could replace the two that are now in use here.

The vaccines protect against the more common bacterial strains responsible for pneumococcal disease, which causes a range of infections including pneumonia, meningitis, sinus and middle-ear infection. It can lead to very severe illness and even death.