Pneumococcal Vaccination: PCV13, PCV15, PCV20, PPSV23 - Blog - Health Corner

Last update: 17 November 2023

Numerous illnesses are brought on by Streptococcus pneumoniae, and the infection itself can be dangerous or even fatal. Young children frequently contract the pneumococcal disease, while older persons are more at risk for serious illness and death.

Clinical presentation depends on the site of infection:

Middle ear infection (otitis media) can present with fever, ear pain and sometimes with discharge. It may lead to hearing loss in recurrent infection.
Chest infection (pneumonia) can present with fever, shortness of breath, chills and productive cough. It may result in death in severe cases.
Infection of the brain membranes (meningitis) can present with fever, stiff neck and confusion. It may result in long-term hearing loss or even death.
Infection of the blood stream (bacteraemia and sepsis) can present with joint pain and chills. It may also present along with infection at other site, such as pneumonia and meningitis.

Vaccines are the best way to prevent pneumococcal disease. There are various of pneumococcal vaccines in Hong Kong, including PCV13, PCV15, PCV20 and PPSV23. This blog will have a complex comparison of them.

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Two kinds of pneumococcal vaccines

There are 4 pneumococcal vaccines that are used in Hong Kong help protect against pneumococcal disease, they can be group into 2 kinds:

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines

Pfizer - Prevenar 13 (PCV13)
Merck - Vaxneuvance 15 (PCV15)
Pfizer - Prevenar 20 (PCV20)

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine

Merck - PNEUMOVAX 23 (PPSV23)

Most pneumococcal bacteria are protected against these vaccines, but not all of them. Additionally, these vaccines provide good but not full protection. Due to these two factors, pneumococcal illness can still manifest itself after immunization.

Marina Medical recommends pneumococcal vaccines for people at below

Children
All children younger than 5 years old should receive PCV13 or PCV15

Children 5 through 17 years old with high-risk conditions* that increase their risk of pneumococcal disease should receive PCV13 or PCV15.

*High-risk conditions include:

History of invasive pneumococcal disease;
Immunocompromised states: Asplenia, HIV /AIDS , primary immunodeficiency, Immunodeficiencies related to malignancies and transplantation, Immunodeficiencies related to use of immunosuppressive drugs / systemic steroid
Chronic disease: Chronic cardiac, pulmonary, liver or renal disease, Diabetes mellitus or cerebrospinal fluid leakage
With cochlear implants

Children from 2 to 17 years old with certain medical conditions should also receive PPSV23.

Adults
Adults who have never received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine should receive PCV15 or PCV20 if they

Are 65 years and older

Are 18 to 64 years old and have certain medical conditions or other risk factors
If PCV15 is used, it should be followed by a dose of PPSV23.

Adults who have already received the PCV13 or PCV7 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine should speak with a vaccine provider to find out their choices for finishing the pneumococcal vaccine series.

Adults 65 years or older have the option to get PCV20 if they have already received:

PCV13 (but not PCV15 or PCV20) at any age
PPSV23 at or after the age of 65 years old

Adults who have already received the PCV13 or PCV7 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine should speak with their doctor to find out their choices for finishing the pneumococcal vaccine series.

Pneumococcal vaccination is required more than one dose for high-risk individuals and children under the age of two. For further information, please speak to your family doctor.

Side effects of pneumococcal vaccination

The majority of people who receive the pneumococcal vaccine don't have any major side effects, but adverse effects can occur. The majority of side effects are minor, which means they don't affect your normal life.

Side effects of PCV13, PCV15, or PCV20 include:

Reactions/ redness/ swelling where the shot was given
Pain or tenderness
Fever
Loss of appetite
Fussiness (irritability)
Feeling tired
Headache
Muscle aches or joint pain
Chills

Side effects of PPSV23 include:

Reactions / rednesswhere the shot was given
Pain
Feeling tired
Fever
Muscle aches

If these problems occur, they usually fade within about 2 days.

Conclusion

Vaccine	PCV13	PCV15	PCV20	PPSV23
Manufracturer	Pfizer	Merck	Pfizer	Merck
Vaccine type	Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines			Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
Number of serotypes	13 (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 23F)	15 (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F, 33F)	20 (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 8, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15B, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F, 33F)	23 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 8, 9N, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15B, 17F, 18C, 19A, 19F, 20, 22F, 23F, 33F)
Target group	All babies and children younger than 5 years old Children 5 to 17 years old with certain medical conditions that increase their risk of pneumococcal disease	All babies and children younger than 5 years old Children 5 to 17 years old with certain medical conditions that increase their risk of pneumococcal disease Adults 18 to 64 years old with certain medical conditions or risk factors Adults 65 years or older	Adults 65 years or older Adults 18 to 64 years old with certain medical conditions or risk factors	Children or adults of 2 years old or older
Side effects	Reactions/ redness/ swelling where the shot was given Pain or tenderness Fever Loss of appetite Fussiness (irritability) Feeling tired Headache Muscle aches or joint pain Chills			Reactions / rednesswhere the shot was given Pain Feeling tired Fever Muscle aches

If you have questions about vaccinations, please consult our family doctor.

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