Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Pneumococcal Vaccination
Pronounced (noo-muh-KOK-uhl)
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13)is recommended for all children younger than 5 years old and for adults with certain risk factors. Children 2 years or older who are at high risk of pneumococcal disease should also receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). All adults 65 or older — and those 19 or older with risk factors — should receive PPSV23.
What You Should Know:
For Health Professionals:
For the Media:
What You Should Know
- Pneumococcal disease information
Types of infection, symptoms, treatments, transmission, etc. - Pneumococcal Disease: So Many Treatments Posted May 2011
Parent tells true story of how pneumococcal disease sickened her children and affected her family - Images of pneumococcus and people affected with pneumococcal disease
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. - Fact sheets about pneumococcal disease
- Facts about pneumococcal disease
- Pneumococcal disease: Hard to say; easy to get vaccinated
[2 pages] Posted Aug 2011
Facts about pneumococcal disease in adults from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
- Facts about pneumococcal disease
- Pneumonia Can Be Prevented – Vaccines Can Help
CDC Feature - Podcast: Prevent Pneumonia
Posted May 2012
Released 5/23/2012; Run time 4:50
Dr. Kathleen Dooling with the CDC explains what pneumonia is, its symptoms, and how to prevent it. - Interactive Q & A Posted Aug 2011
Answers from a panel of experts for commonly asked questions about pneumococcal diseases in adults (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) - Pneumococcal basics for parents
Fact sheet offers overview of pneumococcal disease and vaccine risks and benefits
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV13 or Prevnar 13®, is currently recommended for all children younger than 5 years of age and adults 19 years and older with certain medical conditions.
Pneumovax® is 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPVSV23) that is currently recommended for use in all adults who are older than 65 years of age and for persons who are 2 years and older and at high risk for disease (e.g., sickle cell disease, HIV infection, or other immunocompromising conditions). It is also recommended for use in adults 19 through 64 years of age who smoke cigarettes or who have asthma.
- Who needs pneumococcal vaccines and how effective are they?
Vaccine recommendations for children and adults
Updated Apr 2011 - Side
Effects of PCV13 and PPSV23
Excerpt from Vaccine Information Statement - Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) (PCV13 and PPSV23)
- Questions and answers for parents about PCV13 vaccine Updated Apr 2011
- Podcast: New and Improved Vaccine
Released 4/1/2010; Run time 4:32; Series: A Cup of Health with CDC
CDC expert Dr. Pekka Nuorti discusses pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease. - Safety and Immunogenicity of a 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
PEDIATRICS Vol. 125 No. 5 May 2010, pp. 866-875 Posted May 2010 - Lessening the Pain of Vaccines
Techniques worth trying - Pneumococcal
conjugate (PCV13) vaccine mandates for children in
day care
Listed by state - Global pneumococcal disease and vaccines
PCV recommendations, advance market commitment, vaccine support resources, literature, etc.
As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.
- Frequently Asked Questions about Vaccine Safety
- Monitoring Vaccine Safety
- Are
vaccines safe?
FAQs on The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website
- What if we stopped vaccinating for this disease?
- Who should not be vaccinated with Pneumococcal vaccine?
- Pregnancy guidelines
For Health Professionals
Clinical Information on Pneumococcal
- PCV13 (Pneumococcal Conjugate) Vaccine (for Immunocompromised Adults) Posted Oct 2012
Recommendations, scenarios and Q&As for healthcare providers about PCV13 - Pink Book's chapter on Pneumococcal Disease (Updated May 2012)
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 12th Edition Second Printing - Ask the Experts about PCV13 and PPSV23
CDC experts answer your clinical questions (Immunization Action Coalition) - Use of Vaccines to Prevent Meningitis in Persons with Cochlear Implants Updated
Apr 2012 - Facts about pneumococcal disease and prevention in adults
Updated October 2012
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Vaccine Recommendations
- ACIP pneumococcal vaccine recommendations
- PCV recommendations for developing countries
- Standing Orders
- Contraindications
- Consult package inserts for vaccine storage and handling guidance: (Prevnar7, Prevnar13, Pneumovax23, and more package inserts...)
Includes proper storage and handing details, shelf life, reconstitution instructions... - ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution Updated Feb 2013
References and Resources
- Pneumococcal vaccine-related articles
- Pink Book's chapter on Pneumococcal Disease Updated
May 2012
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 12th Edition Second Printing - Surveillance: Surveillance manual's chapter on Pneumococcal Disease
Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Laboratory:
- CDC Streptococcal Laboratory
Scheme for identifying pneumococcal serotypes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). - CDC's Pneumococcal Clone Identification
Laboratories that conduct pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) can use this info to identify...
- CDC Streptococcal Laboratory
- Global pneumococcal disease and vaccines
PCV recommendations, advance market commitment, vaccine support resources, literature, etc. - Travelers
Health: Yellow Book
Chapter on pneumococcal disease - Influenza and pneumococcal (PPSV) mandates for long term care facilities
- Pneumonia Guidelines
Resources on community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia
Provider Education
- VIDEO – Latest Adult Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations Posted Oct 2012
CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape - VIDEO – Pneumococcal Disease in Children: New Immunization Recommendations Posted May 2010
CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape - Pneumococcal
Polysaccharide
Vaccination Pocket Guide
Intended to be a provider's partner to help with pneumococcal vaccination
Materials for Patients about Pneumococcal Vaccination
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) (PCV13 and PPSV23)
- Professional Practice Toolkit: Pneumococcal Disease Posted Aug 2011
Resources in English and Spanish to help health care professionals educate their adult patients about pneumococcal disease (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) - Podcasts on immunization topics
- Stories of people who suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases
- Pneumococcus: Questions and Answers [4 pages]
Ready-to-print version of one of the CDC-reviewed Q&A materials located on IAC's Vaccine Information website (http://www.vaccineinformation.org) Updated Apr 2009
For the Media
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Content last reviewed on June 6, 2013
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
