While vaccines for the bacterial infection are widely available, thousands of cases still lead to hospitalization and death in the U.S. each year. In response, Pfizer, Merck and others have worked to develop new shots that offer better protection, particularly against strains that weren’t previously covered by Prevnar 13.
These second-generation shots are meant to improve upon older versions like Merck’s Pneumovax 23, which was first launched in 1983. That company’s follow-on, Vaxneuvance, gained clearance in adults in 2021 and a year later won expanded use in children aged 6 weeks through 17 years.
