Primary vaccination:

Adults and children of 2 years of age or older – one single dose of 0.5 millilitre by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is not recommended for use in children below 2 years of age, as the safety and efficacy of the vaccine have not been established and the antibody response may be poor.

Special dosing:

It is recommended that pneumococcal vaccine should preferably be given at least two weeks before elective splenectomy or the initiation of chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive treatment. Vaccination during chemotherapy or radiation therapy should be avoided.

Following completion of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for neoplastic disease, immune responses to vaccination may remain diminished. The vaccine should not be administered any sooner than three months after completion of such therapy. A longer delay may be appropriate for patients who have received intensive or prolonged treatment (see section 4.4 in the SmPC). Persons with asymptomatic or symptomatic HIV infection should be vaccinated as soon as possible after their diagnosis is confirmed.

Revaccination:

One single dose of 0.5 millilitre by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. The specific timing of, and need for, revaccination should be determined on the basis of available official recommendations.

Please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics [External link] for full prescribing information.

Hypersensitivity to the active substance(s) or to any of the excipients: phenol, sodium chloride, water for injections.

Please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics [External link] for full prescribing information.

Pneumococcal vaccine can be administered simultaneously with influenza vaccine as long as different needles and injection sites are used.

Please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics [External link] for full prescribing information.

A clinical study of primary vaccination and revaccination was conducted in 379 adults 50 to 64 years of age and 629 adults ≥65 years of age. The rate of overall injection site adverse reactions in the older revaccination group was comparable to the rate observed in the younger revaccination recipients. Injection site reactions occurred within 3 days of vaccination and typically resolved by day 5. The rate of systemic and vaccine related systemic reactions in the older revaccination group was comparable to the rate observed in the younger revaccination recipients. The most common systemic adverse events overall were as follows: asthenia/fatigue, myalgia and headache.

Side effects of PPV

Very common (≥1/10)

General disorders and administration site conditions:
– Fever (≤38.8 °C)

Injection site:
– Erythema
– Induration
– Pain
– Soreness
– Swelling
– Warmth

A full list of side effects can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet [External links].

For more information on the safety of PNEUMOVAX® 23, visit our Safety information page.