On Jun. 22, 2022, Merck announced that that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved an expanded indication for (Pneumococcal 15-valent Conjugate Vaccine) to include children 6 weeks through 17 years of age.

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is an infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus. IPD can lead to hospitalization or death. Some examples of IPD are bacteremia (an infection in the blood) and meningitis (an infection of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord), which can also result in long-term neurological complications. Children under the age of 2 are particularly vulnerable to IPD.