PNEUMOCOCCAL

The Disease

The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria kills more people in the United States each year than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined (about 40,000). It is commonly thought of as a disease of the elderly, but it also takes its toll among our children. It is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the country, hitting children under one year old the hardest. About 200 children die from invasive pneumococcal disease each year.

 The Immunization

Until 2000, pneumococcal vaccine was recommended mostly for adults over 65 years old, and was not licensed at all for children under 2. This is because the only type of vaccine that was available (pneumococcal "polysaccharide" vaccine) doesn't work very well for young children. In 2000, a different type of vaccine (pneumococcal "conjugate" vaccine- PCV7) was licensed that works for children under 2, and it was finally possible to prevent pneumococcal disease in this vulnerable age group. In 2010, a new version of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was approved that protects against even more strains of pneumococcal disease.

PCV-13 was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by the 13
pneumococcal serotypes covered by the vaccine and for prevention of otitis media caused by serotypes in the 7 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine formulation (PCV7[Prevnar, Wyeth]. The AAP recommends:  1) the routine use of PCV13 for healthy children and children with an underlying medical condition that increases the risk of IPD; (2) a supplemental dose of PCV13 for (a) healthy children 14 through 59 months of age who have completed the PCV7 series and (b) children 14 through 71 months of age with an underlying medical condition that increases the risk of IPD who have completed the PCV7 series; (3) "catch-up" immunization for children behind schedule; and (4) PCV13 for certain children at high risk from 6 through 18 years of age.

~AAP 5/24/10

For more information, visit www.Prevnar13.com

Our office is now providing PVC13 vaccine. (August 2010)