A top U.S. health official's call to split the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine into separate shots sparked strong pushback from Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and medical experts, who said such a move lacks scientific justification and could undermine immunization efforts.
Reuters reported that on Monday, acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Jim O'Neill urged vaccine makers to create individual shots for measles, mumps, and rubella.
Merck, the only manufacturer of the MMR vaccine licensed in the U.S., rejected O'Neill's proposal, stating there is no scientific evidence showing benefits from separating the shots.
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The company also warned that individual vaccines would require Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, which could take years.
Merck told Reuters that using the individual components of combination vaccines increases the number of injections for the individual and may result in delayed or missed immunizations.
The FDA notes that no single-virus shots for measles, mumps or rubella are currently licensed in the U.S.
Alongside the MMR vaccine, Merck also produces the combined measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine, which the CDC now advises against using before age four due to a small risk of seizures linked to high fevers. Instead, chickenpox should be administered separately as a standalone shot.
How To Buy Merck Stock
Besides going to a brokerage platform to purchase a share – or fractional share – of stock, you can also gain access to shares either by buying an exchange traded fund (ETF) that holds the stock itself, or by allocating yourself to a strategy in your 401(k) that would seek to acquire shares in a mutual fund or other instrument.
For example, in Merck's case, it is in the Health Care sector. An ETF will likely hold shares in many liquid and large companies that help track that sector, allowing an investor to gain exposure to the trends within that segment
MRK Price Action: Merck shares are trading down 1.07% at $87.85 at the time of publication on Tuesday. They’re moving within their 52-week range of $73.31 to $111.58. The 50-day moving average sits at $82.95, and with an RSI of 64.7, it looks like there’s some strong momentum going on.
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