Clearing up pneumococcal vaccine questions

PPSV23 pneumococcal vaccination recommendations have undergone several changes A new commentary published in JAMA reinforces the changes by the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC)’s vaccine committee in 2019 regarding pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for seniors. This news article was written by Bridget M. Kuehn, MSJ, on January 14, 2020, saying the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) suggests that adults aged 65 years or older should receive only the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) with a few exceptions. This ACIP announcement was issued on November 22, 2019, because the pneumococcal vaccination recommendations had undergone several changes, causing confusion for those who need to select a preventive vaccine. In 2014, the ACIP recommended that older adults receive the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) first, then the PPSV23 at least 1 year later. Since then, widespread childhood vaccination with PCV13 and its predecessor the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine have “led to sharp declines in pneumococcal disease...