POLYVALENT PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE

POLYVALENT PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE

The polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine, (Pneumovax, Pnu-Immwri) claims to protect against most of the commonly encountered pneumococcal infections like pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis and otitis media.

Indications

1. High-risk patients of chronic disease, e.g. cardiac, pulmonary, renal or metabolic disease
2. Patient whose spleens have been removed

Though children under 2 years are at high-risk of suffering from streptococcus pneumonia infection, the currently available vaccine is not effective in this age group because of poor immunologic response. It needs modification to be effective in them.

Dose

Dose is 0.5 ml(IM,SC). Revaccination after 3-5 years until age of 10 years.

Adverse reactions

These include local painful swelling, pyrexia, Guillain Barre syndrome, relapse of disease in ITP and anaphylaxis.

Special remarks

Against the routinely-used 21-valent unconjugated pneumococcal vaccine, recently a 7-valent conjugated vaccine has become available Western countries. It is relatively safer, more effective and can be employed even in infants as young as 2 months in 3 doses 2 months apart with a booster at 12-15 months. In United states, it has become an essential part of immunization schedule to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease, reduce antibiotic resistance among pneumococcal strains and reduce incidence pneumonia in children.