CDC’s ACIP recommends Merck’s CAPVAXIVE for pneumococcal vaccination

Merck announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, unanimously voted to recommend CAPVAXIVE as an option for adults 65 years of age and older for pneumococcal vaccination. Specifically, the ACIP voted to recommend a single dose of CAPVAXIVE for: Adults 65 years of age and older who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown; Adults 19-64 years of age with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown; Adults 19 years of age and older who have started their pneumococcal vaccine series with PCV13 (pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine) but have not received all recommended PPSV23 (pneumococcal 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine) doses. Additionally, shared clinical decision-making is recommended regarding use of a supplemental dose of CAPVAXIVE for adults 65 years of age and older who have completed their vaccine series with both PCV13 and PPSV23.