AAP issues new guidelines on pneumococcal vaccine

In a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has expanded its recommendations for giving pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae to high-risk older children and adolescents.

The new guidelines recommend a single dose of PCV13 for children aged 6 through 18 years who haven’t received a previous dose and are at highest risk of invasive pneumococcal disease because of immunocompromising conditions (HIV infection; functional or anatomic asplenia, including sickle cell disease; malignancy; transplant; congenital immunodeficiency), cerebrospinal fluid leaks, or cochlear implants.

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Children in this group should be given PCV13 whether or not they have received PCV7 or pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) previously. If they haven’t received PPSV23, which contains 11 serotypes not found in PCV13, they should get a dose at least 8 weeks after the PCV13 dose. If they have received PPSV23, the PCV13 dose should be given at least 8 weeks after the polysaccharide vaccine.

Recommendations for vaccinating healthy children with PCV13 and PPSV23 remain the same, as do guidelines for immunizing high-risk children aged 6 to 18 years with PPSV23.

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