What Does The Pneumonia Vaccine Protect Against

Whats The Difference Between Pcv13 And Ppsv23

• Both vaccines help prevent pneumococcal complications like bacteremia and meningitis.
• Youll need more than one pneumonia shot during your lifetime. A 2016 study found that, if youre over 64, receiving both the PCV13 shot and the PPSV23 shot provide the best protection against all the strains of bacteria that cause pneumonia.
• Dont get the shots too close together. Youll need to wait about a year in between each shot.
• Check with your doctor to make sure youre not allergic to any of the ingredients used to make these vaccines before getting either shot.

• a vaccine made with diphtheria toxoid
• another version of the shot called PCV7
• any previous injections of a pneumonia shot

• are allergic to any ingredients in the shot
• have had severe allergies to a PPSV23 shot in the past
• are very sick

Path To Improved Health

Pneumococcal vaccines can protect you against getting pneumonia, which is contagious and spreads from close, person-to-person contact. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and can lead to many symptoms, including:

• cough
• chest pains
• bringing up mucus when you cough

For seniors, pneumonia can be very serious and life-threatening. This is especially true if you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes or COPD. Pneumonia can also develop after youve had a case of the flu or a respiratory virus such as COVID-19. It is extremely important to stay current on flu shots each year in addition to your pneumococcal vaccines.

While PPSV23 and PCV13 do not protect against all types of pneumonia, they can make it less likely that you will experience severe and possibly life-threatening complications from the illness.

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that seniors who have not had either pneumococcal vaccine should get a dose of PCV13 first, and then a dose of PPSV23 6-12 months later. The vaccines cannot be given at the same time. If you have recently had a dose of PPSV23, your doctor will wait at least one year to give you PCV13.

What Is The Pneumonia Vaccine Exactly

The pneumonia vaccine helps prevent pneumococcal disease, which is any kind of illness caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. That includes pneumonia and meningitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . There are actually two types of pneumococcal vaccines in the US:

• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, known as PCV13
• Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, known as PPSV23

PCV13 protects against 13 types of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease, the CDC says, and specifically works against the most serious types of pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia. PPSV23 protects against 23 types of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease and helps prevent infections like meningitis and bacteremia.

The pneumococcal vaccines can be lifesaving. Pneumococcal pneumonia kills about one in 20 older adults who get it, according to the CDC. The vaccines offer a lot of protection. PCV13 can protect three in four adults ages 65 and up against invasive pneumococcal disease and nine in 20 adults ages 65 and older against pneumococcal pneumonia, per CDC data. One shot of PPSV23 protects up to 17 in 20 healthy adults against invasive pneumococcal disease.

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What Is A Pneumococcal Vaccine

A pneumococcal vaccine is an injection that can prevent pneumococcal disease. A pneumococcal disease is any illness that is caused by pneumococcal bacteria, including pneumonia. In fact, the most common cause of pneumonia is pneumococcal bacteria. This type of bacteria can also cause ear infections, sinus infections, and meningitis.

Adults age 65 or older are amongst the highest risk groups for getting pneumococcal disease.

To prevent pneumococcal disease, there are two types of pneumococcal vaccines: the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine .

How Long Does A Pneumonia Shot Last

Streptococcus pneumoniaevaccinepneumoniaStreptococcus pneumoniae

• Younger than 2 years old: four shots
• 65 years old or older: two shots, which will last you the rest of your life
• Between 2 and 64 years old: between one and three shots if you have certain immune system disorders or if youre a smoker

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What To Know About The Pneumococcal Vaccine

Who needs it: The CDC recommends one pneumococcal vaccine for adults 19 to 64 with certain risk factors . If you work around chronically ill people say, in a hospital or nursing home you should get the vaccine, even if you’re healthy. People 65 and older can discuss with their health care provider whether they should get PCV13 if they haven’t previously received a dose. A dose of PPSV23 is recommended for those 65 and older, regardless of previous inoculations with pneumococcal vaccines.

How often: Space immunizations out. You should receive a dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine , then, a year later, a dose of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine . People with any of the risk factors should get one dose of PCV13 and PPSV23 before age 65, separated by eight weeks.

Why you need it: Pneumococcal disease, which can cause pneumonia, kills around 3,000 people a year. Young children and those over 65 have the highest incidence of serious illness, and older adults are more likely to die from it.

Editors note: This article was published on Oct. 26, 2020. It was updated in September 2021 with new information.

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Which Pneumonia Vaccine Is Best

There is no best pneumonia vaccine. The two available pneumonia vaccines are different, and which one is best for you depends on how old you are and whether or not you have certain medical conditions.

The main difference between Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23 is the number of pneumococcus strains the vaccine protects against.

• PCV13 contains polysaccharides from 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria and is mainly given to young children.

• PPSV23 contains polysaccharides from 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria and is mainly given to older adults.

Who Needs One Or Two Pneumonia Vaccines

There are two pneumococcal vaccines, each working in a different way to maximize protection. PPSV23 protects against 23 strains of pneumococcal bacteria. Those 23 strains are about 90- to 95-plus percent of the strains that cause pneumonia in humans, Poland explains. PCV13, on the other hand, is a conjugate vaccine that protects against 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria. PCV13 induces immunologic memory, he says. Your body will remember that it has encountered an antigen 20 years from now and develop antibodies to fight it off.

In order to get the best protection against all strains of bacteria that cause pneumonia, the CDC has long recommended that everyone 65 or older receive both vaccines: PCV13 , followed by the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at a later visit. But the agency is now saying that PCV13 may not be necessary for healthy people 65 and older, suggesting that the decision be left up to patients and their physicians as to whether that extra skin prick is appropriate.

“Anyone who reaches the age of 65 and is in any way immunocompromised or has any of the listed indications for pneumococcal vaccine because they’re in a high-risk group for example, if they have diabetes, heart disease or lung disease, or are a smoker should continue to get both vaccines, says Schaffner.

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Pneumonia Can Be Preventedvaccines Can Help

Some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 have had pneumonia. Learn more about COVID-19.

Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, needlessly affects millions of people worldwide each year.

Pneumonia can often be prevented and can usually be treated.

Lower your risk of pneumonia with vaccines and other healthy living practices.

CDC data showed that in the United States during 2018:

• 1.5 million people were diagnosed with pneumonia in an emergency department
• Approximately 44,000 people died from pneumonia

Most of the people affected by pneumonia in the United States are adults. Vaccines and appropriate treatment could prevent many of these deaths.

How Does The Vaccine Work

There are two vaccines used in the United States:

Research shows that at least one dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine protects at least 8 out of 10 babies and 75 out of 100 adults from invasive pneumococcal disease. One dose of the second vaccine protects between 50 to 85 out of 100 healthy adults against invasive pneumococcal disease.

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Know The Facts About The Vaccine

Just as with a flu shot, some people believe that getting a pneumococcal vaccine will cause them to come down with the disease.

This is absolutely not true, Dr. Kotloff says.

Not only will the pneumococcal vaccine help reduce the risk of contracting certain types of bacterial pneumonia, it also guards against serious consequences resulting from the flu and severe infections, such as .

For young children, older adults, smokers and those with other risk factors, the vaccine is a healthy choice to make.

I cant see any reason to avoid this vaccine and every reason to get it, Dr. Kotloff says.

Who Should Get The Pneumonia Vaccine

So that depends on which specific pneumonia vaccine you’re talking about.

The CDC recommends that these groups get PPSV23:

• All adults 65 years or older.
• People ages 2 through 64 with certain medical conditions
• Adults 19 through 64 years old who smoke cigarettes

The CDC recommends that the following groups get PCV13:

• All children younger than 2 years old.
• People 2 years or older with certain medical conditions.

Here’s where things get a little tricky: The CDC specifically says that adults 65 years or older should discuss and decide with their doctor if they should get PCV13that’s because that pneumonia vaccine used to be recommended for all older adults in the US, but the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices a group of top medical and public health experts in the countryhelped to change that in 2019. The organization released a report at that time saying that PCV13 simply may not be necessary for healthy adults aged 64 and older.

“The effectiveness of this vaccine in kids is driving down cases in adults,” John E. McGinniss, MD, a pulmonologist at Penn Medicine, tells Health, adding that it’s “probably overkill” to give most adults PCV13, along with PPSV23.

David Cutler, MD, family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, agrees. “We’ve done such a good job vaccinating children that we’ve found there’s less of a need to give it to adults,” he tells Health.

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Are The Pneumonia Vaccines Safe

Yes, pneumonia vaccines are safe. Like all vaccines, they go through rigorous scientific testing and review. Although both pneumococcal vaccines can cause mild side effects, severe reactions to the vaccines are rare. In one study of adults over age 70 who received the PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccines, there was only one adverse event that was related to the vaccine.

Allergic reactions to vaccines are rare, but they can occur and may be serious. If you have had an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the pneumococcal vaccines or to a prior dose of a pneumococcal vaccine, you should not get vaccinated without talking to your healthcare provider first.

If you have questions about whether the pneumonia vaccines are safe for you, discuss this with your healthcare provider. You can also find information about pneumococcal vaccine safety here.

How Is Prevnar 13 Given

Prevnar 13 is injected into a muscle. You will receive this injection in a doctor’s office or clinic setting.

For children, Prevnar 13 vaccine is given in a series of shots. The first shot is usually given when the child is 2 months old. The booster shots are then given at 4 months, 6 months, and 12 to 15 months of age. Adults usually receive only one dose of the vaccine.

The first injection should be given no earlier than 6 weeks of age. Allow at least 2 months to pass between injections.

If your child is older than 6 months, he or she can still receive Prevnar 13 on the following schedule:

• Age 7-11 months: two Prevnar 13 injections at least 4 weeks apart, followed by a third injection after the child turns 1 year

• Age 12-23 months: two Prevnar 13 injections at least 2 months apart

• Age 24 months to 5 years : one Prevnar 13 injection.

The timing of a vaccination with Prevnar 13 is very important for it to be effective. Your child’s individual booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor’s instructions or the schedule recommended by the health department of the state you live in.

Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin-free pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor’s instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.

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Lower Your Risk By Getting Vaccinated

In the United States, vaccines can help prevent infection by some of the bacteria and viruses that can cause pneumonia:

• Varicella

These vaccines are safe, but side effects can occur. Most side effects are mild and go away on their own within a few days. See the vaccine information statements to learn more about common side effects. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines side effects.

Encourage friends and loved ones to make sure they are up to date with their vaccines.

World Pneumonia Dayexternal icon is observed each year on November 12th. Globally, pneumonia kills more than 670,000 children younger than 5 years old each year. This is greater than the number of deaths from any infectious disease, such as HIV infection, malaria, or tuberculosis.

What Are The Side Effects Of The Pneumonia Vaccine

Most people don’t usually have serious side effects from either vaccine, but it’s possible to have some mild symptoms.

The most common side effects with PCV13 include:

• Redness where the shot was given.
• Swelling where the shot was given.
• Pain or tenderness where the shot was given.
• Fever.

The most common side effects with PPSV23 include:

• Redness where the shot was given.
• Pain where the shot was given.
• Fever.
• Muscle aches.

If you do happen to have side effects, CDC says they’ll usually go away within two days.

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Prevnar 13 Side Effects

Your child should not receive a booster vaccine if he or she had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first Prevnar 13 shot. Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving Prevnar 13. When the child receives a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects. Get emergency medical help if your child has any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Prevnar 13: hives difficulty breathing swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

• high fever

• seizure

• severe stomach pain, severe vomiting or diarrhea

• easy bruising or bleeding or

• severe pain, itching, irritation, or skin changes where the shot was given.

Less serious Prevnar 13 side effects include

• crying, fussiness

• drowsiness, sleeping more or less than usual

• mild redness, swelling, tenderness, or a hard lump where the shot was given

• loss of appetite, mild vomiting or diarrhea

• low fever , chills or

• mild skin rash.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

What Other Drugs Will Affect Prevnar 13

Before receiving Prevnar 13, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you or your child have recently received.

Also tell the doctor if you or your child have recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

• an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine

• chemotherapy or radiation

• medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine , etanercept , leflunomide , and others or

• medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab , cyclosporine , muromonab CD3 , mycophenolate mofetil , sirolimus , or tacrolimus .

If you are using any of these medications, you may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.

There may be other drugs that can interact with Prevnar 13. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

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