![]() 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine by MSD as it is marketed in Japan. | |
Vaccine description | |
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Target | Streptococcus pneumoniae |
Vaccine type | Conjugate |
Clinical data | |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
Legal status |
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Identifiers | |
ChemSpider |
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Pneumococcal vaccines are vaccines against the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae.[1] Their use can prevent some cases of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.[1] There are two types of pneumococcal vaccines: conjugate vaccines and polysaccharide vaccines.[1] They are given by injection either into a muscle or just under the skin.[1]
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of the conjugate vaccine in the routine immunizations given to children.[1] This includes those with HIV/AIDS.[1] The recommended three or four doses are between 71 and 93% effective at preventing severe pneumococcal disease.[1] The polysaccharide vaccines, while effective in healthy adults, are not effective in children less than two years old or those with poor immune function.[1]
These vaccines are generally safe.[1] With the conjugate vaccine about 10% of babies develop redness at the site of injection, fever, or change in sleep.[1] Severe allergies are very rare.[1]
Whole cell vaccinations were developed alongside characterisation of the subtypes of pneumococcus from the early 1900s.[2]
The first pneumococcal vaccine was developed in the 1980s.[1] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[3]