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Pneumococcal Vaccines

Pneumococcal vaccines protect against the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, blood stream infections, and ear infections, etc.

Pneumococcal Vaccines

The first pneumococcal vaccine was the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23 or Pneumovax 23).

Next came Prevnar, which protect against 7 types of pneumococcal bacteria, and lastly, Prevnar 13.

The latest version of Prevnar protects against 13 serotypes of the pneumococcal bacteria.
The latest version of Prevnar protects against 13 serotypes of the pneumococcal bacteria.

It is now recommended that all children routinely get three doses of Prevnar 13 at two, four, and six months of age. They get a fourth, booster dose, when they are 12 to 15 months old.

Adults who are at least 65 years old can also get a dose of Prevnar 13.

A routine dose of Prevnar 13 for all seniors is no longer recommended.
A routine dose of Prevnar 13 for all seniors is no longer recommended.

This is followed 6 to 12 months later by a dose of Pneumovax 23 if they haven’t had one yet.

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