The Philippine Star reported that Pfizer’s pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been approved by regulators in the Philippines for use in adults.

 

The approval of the adult vaccine, which protects against the bacterium Streptoccoccus pneumoniae, came two months ahead of schedule, making the Philippines the third country in the world to secure approval after Colombia and Thailand.

 

The vaccine is expected to be available in the Philippines by the end of 2011.

 

The US is expected to approve the vaccine in the fourth quarter of the year.