Why Should Babies Be Vaccinated Against Pneumococcal Disease?

The pneumococcal vaccine can prevent a variety of bacterial diseases, such as infections of the ears, lungs, and brain. Infants need 3 doses before their first birthday, with a total of 4 doses. This vaccine can prevent serious diseases including pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia, as well as mild infections of the ears and sinuses. Doctors administer the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to children for protection.

Dr. Chandani Dezure, a pediatrician, stated that this vaccine effectively prevents invasive diseases caused by a common bacterium. This bacterium is a major cause of ear infections and pneumonia in children, posing a serious threat to young children’s health, making this vaccine very important in pediatrics.

What is the Pneumococcal Vaccine?

Children under 5 years old and children aged 5 to 18 with specific risks should be vaccinated. Pneumococcal disease is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, which spreads through contact and respiratory droplets and can quickly develop into serious illness. Antibiotics such as penicillin can treat it, but there is a problem of drug resistance.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae include:

• Pneumonia (lung infection) — approximately 1 in 20 people with pneumococcal pneumonia die from it.
• Meningitis (infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) — approximately 1 in 12 children with pneumococcal meningitis dies from the disease.
• Bacteremia (bloodstream infection) — approximately 1 in 30 children with pneumococcal bacteremia dies from the disease.
• Otitis media (middle ear infection) — serious complications are rare.
• Sinusitis (sinus infection) — serious complications are rare.

Symptoms of pneumococcal infection vary depending on the site of infection. For example, pneumonia presents with chest pain, cough, and fever, while meningitis in infants may cause feeding difficulties, decreased consciousness, and vomiting. The CDC notes that before 2000, approximately 700 children under 5 years old developed meningitis due to pneumococcal infection each year, 13,000 developed bloodstream infections, 5 million developed ear infections, and about 200 children died as a result.

After the introduction of the vaccine, the rate of invasive pneumococcal infections in children under 5 years old decreased by 95% to 99%.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV7 was approved in 2000, and PCV13 in 2010, with the numbers representing the number of strains prevented. The latest vaccines, Vaxneuvance and Prevnar 20, were approved in 2022 and 2023 respectively, aiming to increase the number of preventable strains. Vaccine development continues to progress, and which PCV a child receives depends on the vaccines available at that time.

There is another pneumococcal vaccine called PPSV23, but it is only recommended for people over 2 years old with specific high risks (such as those with sickle cell disease).

What is the Recommended Vaccination Schedule for the Pneumococcal Vaccine?

Recommended Number of Doses

Your child should receive 4 doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Recommended Ages

• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• Between 12 and 15 months

Who Should Not Receive the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)?

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is suitable for children under 5 years old and older children with specific diseases.

Your child should not receive the vaccine if they have had a severe allergic reaction to any pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) or any vaccine containing diphtheria toxoid. (This includes the DTaP vaccine.)

Do I Need to Take Any Precautions?

If your child has a mild illness, such as a cold, they can usually be vaccinated. If they have a more serious illness, it is usually better to postpone vaccination. If it is time for the vaccination and your baby is unwell, consult your baby’s doctor.

Possible Side Effects of the Pneumococcal Vaccine

It is not uncommon for children to be fussy or irritable after vaccination. Other temporary, mild side effects may include:

• Redness, swelling, and discomfort at the injection site
• Fever, chills
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling tired

The vaccine may also cause headache, muscle aches, or joint pain, though these symptoms may be difficult to identify in infants or toddlers.

Your baby and others in contact with them will not develop pneumococcal disease from the vaccine.

The vaccine will not cause pneumococcal disease.

Severe allergic reactions are rare but possible with any vaccine. Here’s how to tell if your child is having an adverse reaction.

• The pneumococcal vaccine prevents bacterial infections including meningitis, bloodstream infections, and ear infections.
• The vaccine series consists of 4 shots, starting at 2 months of age.
• Newer vaccines, such as the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) and 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), provide more protection than the original 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7).
• If your child misses a dose, they can catch up according to the catch-up schedule.