A new vaccine that combines four childhood immunizations has won approval from the FDA, Merck & Co. Inc. said Tuesday.

The vaccine, called Proquad, is approved to protect children, ages 12 months to 12 years, against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

Shares of Merck, which is facing product-liability lawsuits over its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, closed up 16 cents at $28.99 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.