On Wednesday, a committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Prevnar for all children up to age 2 and children at high risk for infections up to age 5. Only one dose is needed after that. Industry analysts said they expected widespread use of Prevnar. The vaccine's success is considered to be important to the future of AHP, which has failed to close three merger deals in the past two years. AHP's products include the painkiller Advil and hormone replacement therapy Premarin.
New vaccines get off to a very fast start.
The approval also gives a boost to the company's vaccine unit, Wyeth Lederle Vaccines, which last year withdrew a children's vaccine against rotavirus, a cause of severe diarrhea, after the vaccine was linked to bowel obstructions. AHP had called the vaccine Prevenar but changed the name to Prevnar. Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.