What Should Seniors Know About Pneumococcal Vaccines?
Pneumococcal disease causes serious infections including pneumonia, bloodstream infection, and meningitis that are particularly dangerous for seniors. Vaccines can prevent many of these infections. Understanding pneumococcal vaccination helps seniors protect themselves from these serious diseases.
What Pneumococcal Disease Is
Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria cause pneumococcal disease. These bacteria can infect the lungs causing pneumonia, the bloodstream causing bacteremia, the brain and spinal cord lining causing meningitis, and the ears causing ear infections. Pneumococcal infections cause significant illness, hospitalization, and death, particularly among seniors and those with chronic conditions.
Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common serious form of the disease in adults. It causes about 150,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States. Even with treatment, some patients die or experience lasting complications.
Why Seniors Are at Risk
Immune function declines with age, making seniors more susceptible to pneumococcal infection and less able to fight it off. Chronic conditions common in seniors, including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, further increase risk. Smoking and living in long-term care facilities elevate risk.
Seniors who develop pneumococcal disease are more likely to experience severe illness, require hospitalization, and die from the infection than younger adults. Prevention through vaccination is especially important for this vulnerable group.
Available Vaccines
Two types of pneumococcal vaccines are available. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, PCV15 and PCV20, stimulate strong immune responses against the most common disease-causing strains. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, PPSV23, covers additional strains but produces somewhat different immune response.
Current recommendations for adults 65 and older who have not previously received pneumococcal vaccines include one dose of either PCV15 or PCV20. Those receiving PCV15 should follow with PPSV23. The timing between doses depends on individual circumstances.
Vaccination Schedule
Adults who have never received pneumococcal vaccines should discuss with healthcare providers which vaccine to receive first and what follow-up is needed. Those who received pneumococcal vaccines before age 65 may need additional doses after turning 65.
Previous vaccination with PPSV23 alone may warrant additional vaccination with PCV15 or PCV20. Recommendations have evolved, so those vaccinated years ago should discuss current status with providers.
Vaccine Safety
Pneumococcal vaccines are safe and well-tolerated. Common side effects include soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle aches. These effects are mild and temporary. Serious side effects are rare.
The protection vaccines provide far outweighs the temporary discomfort of side effects. Preventing pneumococcal pneumonia avoids much greater suffering than any vaccination side effects cause.
Getting Vaccinated
Pneumococcal vaccines are available at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and health departments. Medicare Part B covers pneumococcal vaccines with no copay for beneficiaries. Private insurance also covers recommended vaccines.
If you are unsure about your pneumococcal vaccination status, healthcare providers can review records and recommend appropriate vaccination. When in doubt about past vaccination, receiving the vaccine is safe and ensures protection.
Getting Vaccination Information
All Seniors Foundation encourages all eligible seniors to receive pneumococcal vaccination. Preventing serious pneumococcal disease is safer than treating it. Contact us if you have questions about pneumococcal vaccination or need help accessing vaccines.
