Turkey adds Wyeth

Turkey has initiated a national immunization program against pneumococcal disease with US drug major Wyeth's Prevenar (pneumococcal  saccharide conjugated vaccine, adsorbed), which helps protect infants  and young children against the seven serotypes causing the majority of  pneumococcal disease worldwide. There are now more than 30 countries  that include Prevenar in their childhood NIP. According to the World  Health Organization, pneumococcal disease causes up to one million  deaths in children each year and is the leading vaccine-preventable  cause of mortality in those younger than five years of age worldwide.  Given the significant burden of pneumococcal disease and the  demonstrated vaccine efficacy, in March 2007 the WHO recommended  priority inclusion of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in  national childhood immunization programs worldwide. Recently, the  Strategic Advisory Group of Experts to the WHO issued a preliminary  recommendation that pneumococcal disease prevention be ranked as a very  high priority worldwide.