Pneumococcal 13 Vaccination (PNEUMONIA)

About this service

WHAT IS PNEUMONIA? Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. This bacteria — commonly referred to as pneumococcus — is a common cause of pneumonia and other infections. Although pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by many different bacteria, viruses, or fungi, the pneumococcus bacteria is the most common cause of pneumonia infection. Pneumococcal pneumonia can be life-threatening. But pneumonia isn't the only risk. Pneumococcus can infect other parts of the body too, and cause serious "invasive” disease like meningitis (bacteria in the brain and spinal cord) and bacteremia (bacteria in the blood). It can also cause sinus and ear infections. WHY PREVNAR 13? Prevnar 13 protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria and was developed for infants and children. The CDC recommends that all infants and children younger than 2 years of age get Prevnar 13. Prevnar 13 involves a series of four doses of the vaccine given during their childhood shots. In some cases, the CDC recommends that adults get Prevnar 13 in addition to Pneumovax 23. If a person has any of the following conditions, they are considered at high risk for a serious pneumococcal infection, and need both vaccines:​ º A spleen that doesn’t work well or no spleen º Sickle cell disease or other inherited blood disorder º HIV infection º Cancer of the blood (leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma) º Metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread beyond the original location) º Organ/islet cell transplantation º Anyone who takes medications that lower your immune system (including long-term steroid use and radiation therapy) Unimmunized individuals should receive PCV13 vaccine first followed by PPV23 at least 8 weeks later. If PPV23 has already been administered, PCV13 should be administered at least one year later.