Key points
- There are 3 pneumococcal vaccines available in the United States.
- Two are conjugate vaccines and 1 is a polysaccharide vaccine.
- Pneumococcal vaccines vary in how well they work and what serotypes, or strains, they protect against.
- Talk to a vaccine provider if you have questions about pneumococcal vaccines.
Available vaccines
In the United States, there are 2 types of vaccines recommended to help prevent pneumococcal disease:
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs)
- PCV15
- PCV20
- PCV15
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
- PPSV23
- PPSV23
Each of these vaccines helps protect against specific serotypes, or strains, of pneumococcal bacteria. The number at the end of the vaccine name tells how many serotypes the vaccine includes.
PCVs
PCVs are given to children younger than 5 years old and to older children who need it. Vaccine providers also give PCVs to adults 65 years or older and other adults who need it.
Prevnar 20® (PCV20) helps protect against 20 types of pneumococcal bacteria that commonly cause serious infections in adults.
VaxneuvanceTM (PCV15) helps protect against 15 types of pneumococcal bacteria that commonly cause serious infections in adults.
PPSV23
Vaccine providers may give PPSV23 to children 2 through 18 years old with certain conditions. Vaccine providers give it to adults who receive PCV15. They also may give it to adults who have received an earlier vaccine called PCV13.
Pneumovax23® (PPSV23) helps protect against serious infections caused by 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria.
How well they work
Vaccines that help protect against pneumococcal disease work well but cannot prevent all cases.
PCVs
Pneumococcal disease rates have decreased dramatically since the United States began using PCVs.
PCV15 and PCV20 are new vaccines, so there are no data on how well these vaccines work in real-world conditions. They were approved based on clinical trial data comparing their safety and immune responses to earlier vaccines (e.g., PCV13).
In children
Studies show that getting PCV13 prevented invasive pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine serotypes:
- For 4 in 5 healthy children
- For 4 in 5 children with certain risk conditions
PCV13 also prevented antimicrobial-resistant pneumococcal infections caused by vaccine serotypes.
In adults
For adults 65 years or older, one study found getting PCV13 protected
- 3 in 4 people against invasive pneumococcal disease
- 9 in 20 people against pneumococcal pneumonia
PPSV23
Studies show PPSV23 protects between 6 to 7 in 10 adults with healthy immune systems from invasive pneumococcal disease. This protection is against pneumococcal infections caused by serotypes in the vaccine.
Resources
Pneumococcal Vaccine Information Statements
PCV: English | Other languages
PPSV23: English | Other languages
- Bonten MJ, Huijts SM, Bolkenbaas M, et al. Polysaccharide conjugate vaccine against pneumococcal pneumonia in adults. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(12):1114–25.
- Moore MR, Link-Gelles R, Schaffner W, et al. Effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in children in the USA: A matched case-control study. Lancet Respir Med. 2016;4(5):399–406.
- Pilishvili T, Bennett NM. Pneumococcal disease prevention among adults: Strategies for the use of pneumococcal vaccines. Vaccine. 2015;33(4):D60–5.
- Specifically infections caused by vaccine serotypes