More people are now advised to get a pneumococcal vaccine if they haven’t already, as CDC advisors recommended the shots for adults 50 and older who either haven’t gotten one or don’t remember if they have.
All but one member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted in favor of the new guidance on Wednesday. The vote is welcome news for Pfizer and Merck, the major manufacturers of the vaccines.
The lone dissent on the ACIP panel was Jamie Loehr, a family physician from upstate New York. Loehr, who chaired the pneumococcal vaccine working group, had indicated earlier that he wouldn’t vote in favor of the expanded guidelines over concerns that Pfizer’s vaccine, called Prevnar 20, is less cost-effective than Merck’s 21-valent option, Capvaxive (also referred to as PCV21).
But the majority of the group supported expanding use of both vaccines and making a broad recommendation for both shots that would be easier for healthcare workers to understand.
Loehr said that was “a mistake,” because the difference in cost-effectiveness was “significant.” While comparably priced, a CDC analysis showed that Merck’s vaccine results in a larger cost-adjusted benefit.
“I think that providers are smart enough to know that there are two different vaccines,” Loehr said. “I think that PCV21 is a better vaccine.”
The final vote was 14-1, however. The guidance next needs to be ratified by CDC Director Mandy Cohen, which often happens within hours of the panel’s vote.