pneumococcal vaccine at a glance
Medicine class
Inactivated bacterial vaccine; the selected product is a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.
Main role
Active immunisation against pneumococcal disease, particularly for older people and people at increased clinical risk.
Administration
Given by a trained healthcare professional as an injection into a muscle or under the skin.
Important limitation
Protection is limited to vaccine-covered pneumococcal types and is not complete.
What is pneumococcal vaccine used for?
The selected pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is licensed for active immunisation against pneumococcal disease in people aged 2 years and over. Vaccination is offered particularly to older adults and people at increased clinical or occupational risk.
Reducing the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease, including meningitis and bloodstream infection
Reducing the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia caused by vaccine-covered types
Protecting eligible people at increased clinical or occupational risk
How does pneumococcal vaccine work?
The selected vaccine contains purified sugars from the outer capsules of several pneumococcal types. These stimulate type-specific antibodies that can recognise and help clear the bacteria. This polysaccharide response is unreliable in children younger than 2 years; conjugate vaccines produce a stronger response in this age group.
How to take pneumococcal vaccine
The vaccine is given by a trained healthcare professional. Food does not affect vaccination.
The selected product is injected into a muscle or under the skin; it must not be injected into a blood vessel or into the skin.
Tell the vaccinator about previous severe vaccine allergies, current illness, and immune-suppressing treatments.
It may be given at the same appointment as influenza vaccine using separate injection sites.
pneumococcal vaccine side effects
Common or expected effects
- Pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, swelling or firmness at the injection site
- Fever
- Tiredness or weakness
- Headache or muscle aches
- Reduced appetite
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergic reaction, including facial or airway swelling
- Seizure associated with fever
- Rare extensive swelling or a cellulitis-like reaction affecting the vaccinated limb
- Rare blood or neurological reactions; frequency cannot be reliably estimated
pneumococcal vaccine in pregnancy
Pneumococcal vaccination can be given during pregnancy when needed. For the selected polysaccharide product, use is advised only when clearly necessary after weighing potential benefit and risk.
pneumococcal vaccine while breastfeeding
Pneumococcal vaccination can be given while breastfeeding. For the selected product, transfer into human milk is unknown and caution is advised.
pneumococcal vaccine interactions
Other vaccines and immune-suppressing treatment can affect administration or immune response.
Influenza vaccines
May be given at the same appointment using different needles and injection sites.
Zostavax
Simultaneous administration reduced the immune response to Zostavax in a small trial.
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other immunosuppressive treatment
May weaken the antibody response.
Common questions about pneumococcal vaccine
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What infections can it help prevent?
It helps protect against vaccine-covered pneumococcal infections, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infection or sepsis. It does not protect against every cause of these illnesses.
Is it a live vaccine?
No. Pneumococcal vaccines are inactivated and contain bacterial antigens rather than live pneumococci.
Can it be given with a flu vaccine?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.