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 there. | asianewsnetwork
But they do provide protection against the more common strains of the Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria, which is why the Government encourages and subsidizes pneumococcal vaccination for Singaporean children and seniors.
Professor Julio Ramirez, chief research scientist at the Norton Infectious Diseases Institute at Norton Healthcare in the United States, who was the principal investigator in studies of the PCV13 vaccine, was brought in by Pfizer for the launch of the PCV20 here on Saturday. Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, who heads the Travelers’ Health and Vaccination Clinic at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and is also a senior consultant at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, said: “Conjugate vaccines like PCV13 or PCV20 are better able to stimulate an immune response compared to the polysaccharide vaccine PPSV23, which was the reason conjugate vaccines were developed.
While Dr Asok Kurup, who chairs the Chapter of Infectious Disease Physicians, agrees that the wider coverage from PCV20 can mean just a single dose for the vast majority, he said people at higher risk, such as the immunocompromised, should still get the PPSV23 as well, as it covers more strains. An MOH spokesman said those who have been recommended to receive the PCV13 and PPSV vaccines under the National Adult Immunization Schedule are advised to do so. The PCV20 is currently not for use in children.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Singapore Changi Airport is world’s best, PH out of top 100 — surveyMANILA, Philippines — Singapore Changi Airport reclaimed its spot as the world’s best airport, while no Philippine airport made it to the 2023 World Airport Survey’s 100 best airports across
Read more »
FAST FACTS: Antipolo Cathedral, the first international shrine in the PhilippinesThe National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, popularly known as Antipolo Cathedral, will officially assume its new status as an international shrine on March 25.
Read more »
Singapore's Changi wins World's Best Airport in 2023; Philippines fails to make top 100 listPhilippine airports failed to make it to the top 100 list of the world’s best airports for this year, according to the 2023 World Airport Survey. | philstarlife
Read more »
Oil rises on demand hopes as banking crisis fears subsideOil prices firmed after a meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia calmed markets amid strong China demand expectations, but were headed for their biggest weekly falls since December as a banking crisis rocked global financial and oil markets. | Reuters
Read more »