The Disease

The pneumococcus bacterium (bug) can cause pneumonia and meningitis. However, like some other bugs, it can also live harmlessly in the noses of many children.¹ Though the bug is a common cause of ear infections in children, the purpose of the vaccine is to prevent the more serious, or invasive, form of the disease, which causes meningitis, blood poisoning and pneumonia in roughly equal proportions. These are serious illnesses, killing up to 1 in 10 children who contract the disease.² Before immunisation, the risk of a child getting IPD at any time before the age of five was 1 in 850. 20 children under 5 died from IPD every year in England & Wales.

The Vaccine

The pneumococcal vaccine is the most recent addition to the baby immunisation schedule in the UK. The original 7-valent vaccine introduced in 2006 protects against 75% (three quarters) of IPD in children under 5, with an overall effectiveness of preventing IPD of around 60%. [ref 3, 4] A new expanded 13-valent vaccine was introduced in 2010. This protects against around 90% of IPD in young children, with an overall effectiveness of preventing IPD of over 70%. It is uncertain how long protection from either vaccine lasts, though if given in the first few months of life, a booster dose is advisable during the second year of life. [ref 5] If given between 12 and 23 months of age, then two doses are sufficient; if given over two years of age, only one dose is necessary.

IPD is rarely a problem in children over 5 years of age.

This vaccine causes local reactions, such as pain, redness and swelling more frequently than most other vaccines.^{6 7}

It commonly causes redness (in 32% of children vaccinated); redness over 2.5cm (17%); pain (24%); pain affecting movement (16%); swelling (30%); swelling over 2.5cm (10%).⁸ The vaccine also appears to cause occasional episodes of floppy baby (hypotonia) reactions, inconsolable crying and convulsions.^{9 10}

The choices

There is currently only one vaccine that protects young children against IPD.

Prevenar 13
Type of vaccine:	Single 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine
Manufacturer:	Wyeth
Protects against:	IPD
Active ingredients:	32µg of capsular polysaccharide of 13 serotypes of pneumococcus
Mercury content:	Nil
Aluminium content:	0.125mg
Other ingredients:	0.295mg succinic acid 0.1mg Polysorbate 80 diphtheria toxoid (as conjugate)
Primary course:	If given under one year of age: 3 doses If given at 12-23 months of age: 2 doses If given at 2 -5 years of age: 1 dose
Boosters:	Single dose from 12 months required only if primary course is completed before 12 months of age

The supply of single and small combination vaccines may change over time. At BabyJabs we are on the constant lookout for safe and effective vaccines to offer your child. We may obtain different vaccines to those listed above. We will only offer you alternative vaccines if we are completely confident of their safety and efficacy.


Go back to vaccines at a glance

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¹ Dagan R et al. Reduction of nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci during the second year of life by a heptavalent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1996; 174(6): 1271-8.

² Melegaro A, Edmunds WJ, Pebody R, Miller E, George R. The current burden of pneumococcal disease in England and Wales. Journal of Infection 2006; 52(1): 37-48.

³ Invasive pneumococcal infection, England and Wales: 2000. CDR Weekly 2003; 13(21): May 22.

⁴ Steenhoff AP. Shah SS. Ratner AJ. Patil SM. McGowan KL. Emergence of vaccine-related pneumococcal serotypes as a cause of bacteremia. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2006; 42(7): 907-14.

⁵ Black SB et al. Effectiveness of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children younger than five years of age for prevention of pneumonia. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2002; 21(9): 810-5.

⁶ Schmitt HJ. Faber J. Lorenz I. Schmole-Thoma B. Ahlers N. The safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7VPnC) concurrently administered with a combination DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine. Vaccine 2003; 21(25-26): 3653-62.

⁷ Knuf M, Habermehl P, Cimino C, Petersen G, Schmitt HJ. Immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) concurrently administered with a DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib combination vaccine in healthy infants. Vaccine 2006; 24: 4727-4736.

⁸ Oosterhuis-Kafeja F, Beutels P, Van Damme P. Immunogenicity, efficacy, safety and effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (1998-2006). Vaccine. 2007; 25(12): 2194-212.

⁹ JCVI. Proposed changes to the routine childhood immunisation schedule. Available at http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/jcvi/minutes.htm. Accessed May 20, 2006.

¹⁰ O'Brien KL et al. Efficacy and safety of seven-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine in American Indian children: group randomised trial. Lancet 2003; 362(9381): 355-61.