Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may prevent pneumococcal disease that may occur with infection due to Streptococcus pneumonia.

Infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause the following: ear or sinus infections, or serious infections of the lung, brain and spinal cord, or bloodstream.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine does not contain live vaccine. The vaccine works by triggering the body to make antibodies against the bacteria to provide a defense against potential infection.

These vaccines do not offer full protection against pneumococcal disease. There are many different forms of Streptococcus pneumoniae and these vaccines only covers a portion of them.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine comes as a liquid to be given intramuscularly (into a muscle) by a healthcare provider.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is given as a single dose for adults. For infants, children, and adolescents doses are given as recommended by your healthcare provider based on your age and vaccination history.

Tell your vaccine provider if you:

• have had an allergic reaction to this vaccine, any part of this vaccine, any other vaccine or any drug, food or substance. Tell your vaccine provider about the allergy and what symptoms you had.
• are immunocompromised due to a medical condition or are receiving immunosuppressive medications. Also tell your vaccine provider if your infant was born prematurely.
• are pregnant or breastfeeding.

In some cases, your health care provider may decide to postpone vaccination to a future visit.

Side effects that have been reported with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine include:

• redness, pain, swelling, or hardness at the site of injection
• fever
• headache
• muscle pain
• decreased appetite, irritability (in infants)

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:

• rash, hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing

People sometimes faint after medical procedures, including vaccination. Tell your provider if you feel dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.

Adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your health care provider will usually file this report, or you can do it yourself. Visit https://vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-7967. VAERS is only for reporting reactions, and VAERS staff members do not give medical advice.

• Read the Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) that your vaccine provider will give you or you can obtain it at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/current-vis/index.html
• Ask your healthcare provider.
• Call your local or state health department.

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