Pneumococcal Disease

About the vaccine

The Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV 13) protects against infection from 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria and is free for children as part of their routine immunizations. Vaccines are very safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get pneumococcal disease.

For more information about the vaccines, who should get them, the benefits and possible reactions, read these HealthLink BC Files:

• Healthy infants need three shots of Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV 13) (62a) vaccine - at 2, 4 and 12 months of age.
• Infants and children at higher risk of pneumococcal disease get four shots of Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV 13) (62a) vaccine - at 2, 4, 6 and 12 months of age.
• The Pneumococcal Polysaccharide vaccine (62b) is an additional vaccine given to children at 2 years of age who have certain medical conditions such as a weakened immune system, chronic kidney, heart or lung disease or diabetes.

  The Pneumococcal Polysaccharide vaccine is free and recommended for adults who are at high risk of getting sick from pneumococcal infections.

Which adults should get vaccinated?

• Everyone 65 years of age and older
• People with a serious long-term health problem such as heart disease, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, leaks of cerebrospinal fluid, chronic lung disease (such as COPD, emphysema or asthma), diabetes or liver cirrhosis
• People with reduced resistance to infection due to Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs, treatment with long-term steroids, bone marrow or organ transplant, kidney damage or failure, HIV/AIDS, lymphoma, leukemia, or other cancers, damaged spleen or no spleen
• People with asthma
• People who smoke.

Please contact your local public health nurse or doctor to find out if you are eligible for the free vaccine.

About the disease

• Pnemococcal infection is caused by a germ (or bacteria) which can attack different parts of the body
• Pneumococcal infections can cause serious and life-threatening infections including meningitis, (an infection of the lining that covers the brain), and septicemia, an infection of the blood
• Pneumococcus is spread by coughing, sneezing, or contact with respiratory secretions
• For every 20 children who get sick, up to 5 will die
• Pneumococcal disease is now rare in BC because of routine childhood vaccination programs
• There is now less childhood pneumococcal disease in BC because of routine childhood vaccinations programs
• For more information on pneumococcal disease go to the Health Canada website.

Photo courtesy of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. More vaccine preventable disease images