Pneumovax 23 Pneumococcal Vaccine

Seniors Still Need PV23 Vaccination

Don Hackett — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 16:14:37 +0000

Reviewer:

Pneumococcal vaccination recommendations have undergone several changes in recent years, causing confusion for those who need to select a preventive vaccine.

Pneumococcal disease is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that has more than 90 serotypes. Only a few of these serotypes produce the majority of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).

On November 22, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced another change to the IPD preventive vaccine schedule. This change should clarify which of the available vaccines are best for seniors over the age of 65 years.

The CDC now says the PCV13 vaccination is no longer routinely recommended for those seniors.

Instead, a shared clinical decision-making process is now recommended for those seniors who do not have an immunocompromising condition, CSF leak, or cochlear implant and who have not previously received the PCV13 vaccine.

Furthermore, the CDC’s vaccine committee continues to recommend that all seniors (65+ yrs) receive 1 dose of PPSV23.

The PPSV23 vaccine contains 12 serotypes in common with PCV13 and an additional 11 serotypes, for which there are no indirect effects from PCV13 use in children.

The additional 11 serotypes account for 32–37 percent of IPD among seniors.

And, those seniors who received at least 1 dose of PPSV23 before age 65 years should receive 1 additional dose of PPSV23 at age ≥65 years, at least 5 years after the previous PPSV23 dose.

"The CDC's recommendation to change PVC13 from a universal recommendation to a shared clinical decision between healthcare providers and patients 65 and older means each vaccination would be personalized," said Crockett Tidwell RPh, CDE, United Supermarkets Pharmacy.

"It is important to discuss your options with a healthcare provider to determine which vaccines are best for you," concluded Tidwell.

Pneumococcal disease is spread from person to person by droplets in the air. The pneumococci bacteria are common inhabitants of the human respiratory tract.

There are 2 major clinical syndromes of invasive pneumococcal disease: bacteremia, and meningitis. They are both caused by infection with the same bacteria but have different manifestations.

Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common disease caused by pneumococcal infection and can occur in combination with bacteremia and/or meningitis, or it can occur alone.

Isolated pneumococcal pneumonia is not considered an invasive disease, but it can be severe.

It is estimated that 175,000 cases occur each year in the USA. The fatality rate is 5-7 percent and could be much higher in the elderly, says the CDC.

Pneumococcal bacteremia occurs in about 25–30 percent of patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. More than 50,000 cases of pneumococcal bacteremia occur each year in the USA.

Bacteremia is the most common clinical presentation among children less than 2 years of age, accounting for 70 percent of invasive disease in this age group.

Pneumococci cause 50 percent of all cases of bacterial meningitis in the USA.

There are 3,000-6,000 cases of pneumococcal meningitis each year. Symptoms and signs may include headache, tiredness, vomiting, irritability, fever, seizures, and coma.

Children less than 1 year of age have the highest rate of pneumococcal meningitis. And the case-fatality rate of pneumococcal meningitis is about 8 percent among children and 22 percent among adults.

Native Australians, Like Americans, Lack Vaccinations

Don Hackett — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 16:32:06 +0000

Reviewer:

Robert Carlson, MD

Danielle Reiter, RN

A new study found that adult Indigenous Australians’ vaccination coverage for the flu and invasive pneumococcal disease is still “unacceptably low”.

This study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on October 16, 2019, found that between 2004–05 and 2012–13, Indigenous Australians vaccine coverage improved from 23 percent to just 29 percent.

“We knew that compared to the general adult population for Australia, the coverage rates are substantially lower for Indigenous Australians for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, and despite the passing of 8 years between national surveys, the rates were still so low,” said Fleur Webster, a Ph.D. candidate at UNSW Medicine, in a press release.

“The goal is for Indigenous Australians’ targeted vaccination coverage to be equal to or above the general adult population rates for Australia.”

Targeted vaccines are those vaccines where the National Immunisation Program (NIP) recommends a different age group for Indigenous Australians compared to the general population.

Influenza and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) are major causes of morbidity and mortality in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people.

Influenza (the flu) is a respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that can easily spread to other people. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

This is likely related to the fact that Indigenous adults have much higher rates of chronic disease compared to non‐Indigenous adults, the root causes of which are related to the social determinants of health.

Many of these conditions, such as renal disease, diabetes, and cardiac disease, are accompanied by a higher risk of severe outcomes from influenza infection and IPD.

Ms. Webster continued saying “Without data, it’s very hard to create effective vaccination programs that will lead to substantial improvements.”

“Much more frequent surveying will facilitate close monitoring and help targeted program delivery efforts – we know urban areas have much lower vaccination rates – so programs need to be customized by age group and location and must be culturally appropriate with input from indigenous stakeholders,” concluded Webster.

In the USA, influenza viruses and pneumonia rank among the top 10 causes of death for American Indians and Alaska Natives, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Compared to the general U.S. population, American Indians and Alaska Natives are more likely to be hospitalized from the flu than the general U.S. population.

Data from 2015 found 39.3 percent of the age-adjusted percentage of Native adults aged 18 and over who received influenza shots in the past 12 months.

Furthermore, 60.3 percent of Native Americans received the pneumococcal vaccine.

Experts aren't sure exactly why, but reasons that these populations are at high risk of flu complications could include social and economic factors that often result in reduced access to health care and crowded living conditions, says the Indian Health Services (IHS).

The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. Getting the flu vaccine each year can keep you from getting sick and keep you from spreading the flu to children and elders—those who can get very sick from the flu.

The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone– your whole family can get vaccinated, says IHS.

Vaccine news published by Precision Vaccinations

Sub Title:

Indigenous Australians vaccine coverage reached 29 percent for flu and pneumococcal

References:

What isn't measured isn't done – eight years with no progress in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult influenza and pneum

Indigenous Australians’ vaccination rates too low and not improving

CDC: American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) are at high risk for flu complications

Immunizations and American Indians/Alaska Natives

American Indians, Alaska Natives and the Flu

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Age Groups:

Google News Keywords:

health, vaccines, vaccinations, australia and vaccine rates, influenza and pneumococcal

GoodRx Vaccine:

pneumovax-23

Shingrix and Pneumovax 23 Found Compatible and Safe for Seniors

Don Hackett — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 20:11:28 +0000

Reviewer:

Danielle Reiter, RN

Robert Carlson, MD

Kelley Lu, PharmD

A new study reported good news for people over 50 years of age concerned with pneumococcal disease and herpes zoster virus (RZV).

This study reported there were no safety or immunogenicity issues found when co-administering Pneumovax 23 and Shingrix vaccines.

"These results support the concomitant administration of RZV and PPSV23 at the same clinic visit, which might increase opportunities of older adults for vaccination against herpes zoster and pneumococcal disease," the authors concluded.

This news is important since less than one-third of the elderly population in the USA was vaccinated against herpes zoster and less than two thirds against pneumococcal infection in 2015.

In this Phase 3, open-label, randomized, controlled multicenter study, a total of 865 patients were randomized to receive 1 of 2 vaccine regimens.

This study showed that the immunogenicity of two doses of RZV was unaffected by the co-administration of the first dose with PPSV23.

And, that immunogenicity of PPSV23 was also preserved when co-administered with the first RZV dose.

Humoral immune responses induced by each vaccine were similar to those induced by their separate administration.

These researchers concluded that these results support the concomitant administration of RZV and PPSV23 at the same clinic visit for adults over 50 years of age, which might increase opportunities of older adults for vaccination against HZ and pneumococcal disease.

Shingrix is the first shingles vaccine to combine a non-live antigen with a specifically designed adjuvant, which is a substance that helps your body better respond to the vaccine.

Unlike many vaccines made from a weakened form of a virus, Shingrix is made from just a single protein known as glycoprotein E, that comes from the outer shell of the herpes zoster virus.

PNEUMOVAX 23 is a vaccine indicated for active immunization for the prevention of pneumococcal disease caused by the 23 serotypes contained in the vaccine.

The CDC publishes a Vaccine Price List of current vaccine information.

And, vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects, says the CDC. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.

This research was supported by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA in all stages of the study conduct and analysis. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA also took responsibility for all costs associated with the development and publishing of the present manuscript.

Sub Title:

Shingrix and PPSV23 co-administration reported no immunologic interference in adults 50+ years old

References:

Study to Evaluate Immunogenicity and Safety Study of GSK Biologicals' Herpes Zoster Vaccine When Co-administered W/ Pneumovax 23

Immunogenicity and safety of the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine co-administered with the 23-valent pneumococcal

Prevention of Herpes Zoster

SHINGRIX (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted)

PNEUMOVAX® 23 (pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent)

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Age Groups:

50 59 years

60 64 years