Pneumococcal Vaccine Effectiveness in Adults

Vaccine Effectiveness and Recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults aged ≥50 years who have never received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine should receive a single dose of PCV20 or PCV15 as the preferred option, with an alternative option of PCV15 followed by PPSV23 at least 1 year later 1
Adults aged 50-64 years with chronic medical conditions should receive PCV20 immediately, according to the American College of Physicians 2
Adults with immunocompromising conditions should receive PCV20 regardless of age, as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2
Current smokers and residents of long-term care facilities should receive PCV20, as suggested by the American College of Preventive Medicine 2

Approximately 60-75% of all invasive pneumococcal disease in adults is caused by serotypes included in current vaccines, such as PCV13, PCV15, PCV20, and PPSV23, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1
The remaining 25-40% of disease is caused by non-vaccine serotypes, limiting overall vaccine impact, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1

When using the PCV15/PPSV23 sequential strategy, the minimum interval is 1 year for immunocompetent adults, but can be shortened to 8 weeks for immunocompromised patients, as recommended by the American College of Physicians 2