If CDC Acts, Younger Seniors Will Get Pneumonia Vaccine

UPPER NYACK, N.Y., Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The 42 million people in the U.S. who are between 50 and 65 may soon have a new vaccine to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia – a virulent form of the disease estimated to infect between 5 and 10 million people a year in the United States, and killing between 40,000 to 70,000 annually, according to the Global Healthy Living Foundation.

"This is a chance to positively impact the vaccination rate for adults, and hopefully save lives and reduce the cost of healthcare," says pulmonologist Dr. Neil Schachter, M.D., author of the popular books, "Life and Breath" and "The Good Doctor's Guide To Colds and Flu."

The new drug, Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine, has been fast-tracked by the Food and Drug Administration, and is on the market under the brand name Prevnar 13. It is now awaiting final guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which meets February 23, 2012. The guidance ensures Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance will pay for the drug. The advisory committee has already approved it for children.

Another vaccine, Pneumovax 23, is also FDA-approved for people as young as 50, but ACIP guidance currently restricts it to children and people over 65, unless they are in a high-risk category, so Prevnar13 will cover the more than 42 million people between 50 and 65 the current drug misses, as well as the more than 72 million people 65 and older, and children.
 
“We would like to see the ACIP align itself with the FDA recommendations and provide guidance that allows both vaccines to be available to this younger audience, because without ACIP guidance for the lower age, Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurers won’t cover the vaccination for this vulnerable 50-65-year-old population segment,” Louis Tharp, GHLF executive director, said.

"Pneumococcal pneumonia is a very high mortality disease," Dr. Schachter says. "It claims the life of 12 percent of those people hospitalized with the condition, so prevention is critical," he adds.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center men are 30 percent more likely than women to die from the condition, and even when they survive, they are likely to die earlier than if they had not contracted the disease.

Medpage, a medical website, estimates that pneumococcal vaccination among high-risk adults under 65 is only 18.5 percent, compared with 59.7 percent for people over 65.

The CDC, in its 2010 National Health Interview Survey released February 3, 2012, found, "only limited recent improvements in vaccination coverage among adults in the United States. Substantial increases are needed to reduce the occurrence of vaccine-preventable diseases among adults."

Vaccines, because of their preventive capabilities, are by far the most cost-effective medicines on the market today, but they are often viewed as children's drugs. Recently however, adult vaccines such as those for shingles and pneumonia, have joined flu vaccines as popular adult medications.

The original release did not fully explain the relationship between the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the FDA regarding pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines Prevnar13 and  Pneumovax23. Both have been approved by the FDA for people over 50. In order for Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurers to cover these vaccines, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (a part of the CDC) must offer guidance. While the ACIP has said Pneumovax23 is approved for people over 65, it has not yet given guidance for Prevnar13. The GHLF encourages the ACIP to provide guidance which says people over 50 can receive both vaccines.

About:
The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates people with chronic disease about how to live healthier lives through diet, exercise, a strong physician/patient relationship and access to health services. www.ghlf.org.

Available Topic Expert: For information on the listed expert, click appropriate link.
Louis Tharp
http://www.profnetconnect.com/louis_tharp  

SOURCE Global Healthy Living Foundation