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PCV13 recommended for children with certain high-risk conditions
In February, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that children and adolescents with certain high-risk conditions should receive the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, according to a recent report published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Children aged 6 to 18 years with immunocompromising conditions, functional or anatomic asplenia, cerebrospinal fluid leaks or cochlear implants should receive a single dose of PCV13 (Prevnar 13, Pfizer), regardless of having previously received 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 7, Pfizer) or 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23; Pneumovax 23, Merck).
The committee did not change recommendations for PPSV23. Specifically, these high-risk children should receive a dose of PPSV23 at least 8 weeks after the PCV13 dose. A second PPSV23 dose is recommended 5 years after the first dose of PPSV23 for those children with anatomic or functional asplenia, HIV infection or other immunocompromising conditions.
Children who had received PPSV23 but not PCV13 should receive a single dose of PCV13 at least 8 weeks after the last PPSV23 dose, even if they had received PCV7. If a second dose of PPSV23 is needed, it should be given at least 5 years after the first dose of PPSV23, and these children should not receive more than two doses of PPSV23 before aged 65 years.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
