With New National Immunisation Programme in Saudi Arabia, Thirty-Five Countries Now Offer Routine Immunisation Against Pneumococcal Disease With Prevenar

Maidenhead, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Prevenar Helps Protect Children Against the Leading
Vaccine-Preventable Cause of Death in Children Younger than Five
Years of Age Worldwide

Wyeth today announced that Prevenar(TM) (Pneumococcal saccharide
conjugated vaccine, Adsorbed) has been added to Saudi Arabia's
national childhood immunisation programme to help protect infants and
young children from pneumococcal disease - the leading cause of
vaccine-preventable death in children younger than five years of age
worldwide. Prevenar is now included in the national immunisation
programmes (NIPs) of 35 countries worldwide.

Prevenar (also referred to as PCV7), the global standard in
pneumococcal disease prevention for infants and young children, helps
protect against the seven pneumococcal serotypes contained in the
vaccine that cause the majority of pneumococcal disease worldwide.
Prevenar has both proven clinical efficacy and documented
effectiveness resulting in significant public health impact. More
than 235 million doses of Prevenar have been distributed across the
world since its introduction.

"Wyeth is pleased that 35 countries now share in the commitment
to help protect current and future generations from pneumococcal
disease - an urgent and pressing health issue. As a result, nearly 15
million children born this year will have the benefit of protection
with Prevenar," says Dr. E. David McIntosh, paediatrician and Wyeth's
Medical Director for Infectious Disease and Vaccines in Europe, the
Middle East and Africa. "Since its introduction, Prevenar has had a
substantial impact on public health, dramatically reducing the rate
of invasive pneumococcal disease where it is routinely used."

In addition to Saudi Arabia, Oman included Prevenar as part of
their NIP in 2009. Other notable NIPs initiated this year include
Turkey, with an annual birth rate of more than 1 million, and Sweden.
South Africa, which initiated a national immunisation programme in
September 2008, plans to implement it nationwide on 1 April, covering
more than 1 million children born this year. Of the 35 countries now
including Prevenar on their NIP, 25 are in Europe, the Middle East
and Africa, which encompasses more than 7 million children born each
year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal
disease causes up to 1 million deaths in children each year. The WHO
recommends priority inclusion of PCV7 in national childhood
immunisation programs worldwide due to the significant burden of
pneumococcal disease and demonstrated vaccine efficacy.

After inclusion of Prevenar on the national immunisation
programme in the US, there was a 98 percent (95% CI: 97-99) reduction
in vaccine-type pneumococcal disease among infants and toddlers
younger than 5 years of age compared with a prelicensure baseline. In
addition, the incidence of disease caused by the seven conjugate
vaccine serotypes declined 55 percent (95% CI: 51-58) among adults 50
years of age and older, an unvaccinated group.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of illness and death
worldwide and affects children and adults. Pneumococcal disease is
caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and can result in
multiple disease manifestations, including invasive infections, such
as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and otitis
media.

Wyeth

Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven
pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in
the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of
pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and
non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for
people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal
Health.

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ots Originaltext: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Media Contacts: Gill Markham, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals,
+44(0)1628-692536, markhagl@wyeth.com; Joanne Wunder, OgilvyHealthPR,
+44(0)207-108-6076, joanne.wunder@ohpr.com