Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced Tuesday it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Meningococcal Group B Vaccine.
The said vaccine is the first of its kind in the country, and is now available to prevent invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in individuals as young as two months.
According to GSK, meningococcal disease is a serious and often life-threatening infection, and there was no vaccine available in the Philippines for serogroup B up until now.
According to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), meningococcal disease is endemic to the Philippines, with about 100 cases reported yearly and no seasonal variation.
GSK stated that serogroup B is one of the leading causes of IMD globally and locally.
“With this approval, Filipinos will now have access to a crucial tool in preventing meningitis B and its potentially severe consequences, such as long-term disability or death. This vaccine has already been licensed in over 40 countries and represents a vital step forward in public health,” GSK stated.
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