PNEUMOVAX 23 (pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent) is an injectable vaccine to help prevent infections, such as pneumonia and bacteraemia (severe infection in the blood), caused by certain types of pneumococcal bacteria.
Your doctor has recommended or administered PNEUMOVAX 23 to help protect you or your child against pneumococcal infections caused by the most common types of pneumococci. The vaccine can be administered routinely to persons 50 years of age or older. The vaccine can also be administered to persons 2 years of age and older if:
- they have chronic illnesses (e.g. heart disease, lung disease, liver disease or diabetes mellitus), alcoholism or cerebrospinal fluid leaks.
- they do not have a spleen or have a spleen that does not function properly.
- they have HIV infection, Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukaemia, generalised malignancy, chronic renal failure or nephrotic syndrome, are receiving cancer chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapy (including corticosteroids) or have organ or bone marrow transplantation.
- they are living in special environments or social settings with an increased risk of pneumococcal infection.
A second dose of the vaccine may be recommended at a later date if you are at high risk for a pneumococcal infection. Pneumococcal infection is a leading cause of death throughout the world and is a major cause of pneumonia, swelling of the coverings on the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), middle ear infections (otitis media) and a severe infection in the blood (bacteraemia). These problems are more likely to occur in older people and those with certain diseases that make them more susceptible to a pneumococcal infection.