What Are The Side Effects Of The Pneumonia Vaccine
Most people don’t usually have serious side effects from either vaccine, but it’s possible to have some mild symptoms.
The most common side effects with PCV13 include:
- Redness where the shot was given.
- Swelling where the shot was given.
- Pain or tenderness where the shot was given.
- Fever.
The most common side effects with PPSV23 include:
- Redness where the shot was given.
- Pain where the shot was given.
- Fever.
- Muscle aches.
If you do happen to have side effects, CDC says they’ll usually go away within two days.
If You Received A Booster Shot
So far, reactions reported after getting a booster shot were similar to those after the two-dose or single-dose primary series. Fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the injection site were the most commonly reported side effects, and overall, most side effects were mild to moderate. However, as with the two-dose or single-dose primary series, serious side effects are rare, but may occur.
Vaccines For Children Program
The Vaccines for Children Program provides vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. A child is eligible if they are younger than 19 years old and meets one of the following requirements:
- Medicaid-eligible
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Underinsured
If your child is VFC-eligible, ask if your doctor is a VFC provider. For help in finding a VFC provider near you, contact your state or local health departments VFC Program Coordinator or call CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO .
Don’t Miss: How To Stop Pneumonia Naturally
How Is The Vaccine Given
Pneumovax23 is given in a single 0.5-mL injection in the arm or thigh. It is approved for use in people 50 years of age or older, and people over 2 years old who are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease.
Prevnar13 is given in a series of 0.5-mL injections. Children 6 weeks through 5 years old receive a 4-dose immunization series, consisting of 0.5-mL intramuscular injections administered at 2, 4, 6, and 12-15 months of age. Children 6 to 17 years of age receive a single dose.
Pneumococcal Disease And Covid
The measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 also help prevent pneumococcal bacteria from spreading.
Not all infections involving pneumococcal bacteria or the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 involve a serious course of illness. A large percentage of people do not get ill or develop a relatively mild case. However, there are people who have a higher risk of developing pneumococcal disease, or are more likely to have a serious course of illness as a result. That usually involves pneumonia. These people often also have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. That may be the case due to older age, or a chronic disease that affects the heart, lungs, kidneys or immune system.
If you have had severe pneumonia due to COVID-19 and then develop pneumococcal disease, or the other way around, you could become very ill. A new infection involving a different virus or bacterium in lungs that are already damaged could be more serious. The recovery phase could be longer or more difficult as a result.
There are people who have a higher risk of getting COVID-19, flu, or pneumococcal disease. This may be due to their age, a chronic illness, or decreased immunity due to illness or medication. It is unknown how likely it is that someone would have a serious infection with more than one of these at the same time.
Don’t Miss: How Often Do You Need To Get The Pneumonia Vaccine
Persons With Inadequate Immunization Records
Children and adults lacking adequate documentation of immunization should be considered unimmunized and should be started on an immunization schedule appropriate for their age and risk factors. Pneumococcal vaccines may be given, regardless of possible previous receipt of the vaccines, as adverse events associated with repeated immunization have not been demonstrated. Refer to Immunization of Persons with Inadequate Immunization Records in Part 3 for additional information about vaccination of people with inadequate immunization records.
What Are Common Flu Vaccine Side Effects To Expect
According to the CDC, you may experience short-lived, minor side effects of the flu shot or nasal spray vaccineas is the case with any vaccination or medication. You might think that side effects are a bad thing, but theyre actually signs that your immune system is responding and getting ready to protect you.
Heres how it works: The flu shot contains inactivated or incomplete strains of the influenza virus, while the nasal spray contains live attenuated strains. Neither form of the vaccine contains live flu viruses that can thrive in your body.
When you get any type of vaccine, the whole purpose is to expose your immune system to the virus, infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells SELF. Your immune system will start to rev up in response. These dead, partial, and weakened viruses are enough to provoke your immune system to develop antibodies to guard you against live and threatening flu viruses. It usually takes about two weeks for those to kick in and offer you protection, per the CDC.
Sometimes your immune system does this without causing noticeable symptoms, but other times, youll experience a few minor side effects as a result. Here are the most common ones you might experience:
Don’t Miss: Is The Pneumonia Vaccine Annual
Throughout The Rest Of Your Body:
- Tiredness
- Fever
- Nausea
Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction after getting a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine , should not get another dose of either of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction after receiving Johnson & Johnsons Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, should not receive another dose of that vaccine.
Learn about getting a different type of COVID-19 vaccine after an allergic reaction.
Possible Side Effects From Vaccines
Any vaccine can cause side effects. For the most part these are minor and go away within a few days. Listed below are vaccines licensed in the United States and side effects that have been associated with each of them. This information is copied directly from CDCs Vaccine Information Statements , which in turn are derived from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for each vaccine.
Remember, vaccines are continually monitored for safety, and like any medication, vaccines can cause side effects. However, a decision not to immunize a child also involves risk and could put the child and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of contracting a potentially deadly disease.
Recommended Reading: How Often Are You Supposed To Have A Pneumonia Shot
Swelling Or Hardness Under The Skin
While swelling and minor bruising can happen after a shot, they usually get better within a day or so. However, if swelling and discoloration persist, it may signify an infection.
Abnormal swelling that feels soft, mushy, and painful may indicate a developing abscess. An abscess is a walled-off collection of pus. It is often warm to the touch and accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes, small bean-shaped glands that are part of the immune system.
You should never squeeze abscesses. That’s because to prevent infection from spreading throughout the body, a healthcare provider must properly drain it. If you try yourself, it could burst under the skin and spread the infection through the bloodstream, causing a potentially life-threatening blood infection known as sepsis.
Signs a bump may be an abscess include:
- The bump oozes: While a bit of drainage following an injection may be expected , a doctor should look at any discolored or abnormal discharge immediately.
- The swelling grows: If the bump is small and you’re not sure if it’s an abscess, take a pen and draw a circle along the border. If it starts to expand beyond the edge or fails to go away in several hours, call a healthcare provider to look at it as soon as possible.
Who Should Get Pneumococcal Vaccines
CDC recommends pneumococcal vaccination for all children younger than 2 years old and all adults 65 years or older. In certain situations, older children and other adults should also get pneumococcal vaccines. Below is more information about who should and should not get each type of pneumococcal vaccine.
Talk to your or your childs doctor about what is best for your specific situation.
Also Check: What Is The New Pneumonia Shot Called
Do I Need To Pay For Pneumococcal Immunisation
Vaccines covered by the National Immunisation Program are free for people who are eligible. See the NIP Schedule to find out which vaccines you or your family are eligible to receive.
Eligible people get the vaccine for free, but your health care provider may charge a consultation fee for the visit. You can check this when you make your appointment.
If you are not eligible for free vaccine, you may need to pay for it. The cost depends on the type of vaccine, the formula and where you buy it from. Your immunisation provider can give you more information.
There Are Two Newly Licensed Pcvs
During the summer of 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration licensed two new PCVs for use in adults: PCV15 and PCV20. Prior to these newly licensed vaccines, PCV13 and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine were recommended for use in US adults depending on age and other risk factors. Neither PCV15 nor PCV20 are currently licensed for use in children, but the manufacturers have stated that they expect to receive licensure decisions in early 2022 for PCV15 and in early-to-mid 2023 for PCV20.
Serotype Coverage
There are more than 100 known serotypes of S pneumoniae. PCV15 and PCV20 target common serotypes causing IPD and pneumococcal pneumonia in the United States. PCV15 contains all PCV13 serotypes plus 22F and 33F. PCV20 contains all PCV15 serotypes plus 8, 10A, 11A, 12F, and 15B.
Immunogenicity, Vaccine Efficacy, and Vaccine Safety
Because these are new vaccines, data on vaccine effectiveness or how well the vaccines work in real-world conditions against clinical outcomes such as IPD and pneumococcal pneumonia are not yet available. The vaccines were approved by the FDA after phase 1 , phase 2, and phase 3 clinical trials. The trials demonstrated that each vaccine produced similar immune responses as PCV13 for shared serotypes, thus meeting noninferiority criteria. Of note, none of these trials directly compared PCV15 with PCV20.
Don’t Miss: Recovering From Pneumonia What To Expect
Who Should Have The Pneumococcal Vaccine
A pneumococcal infection can affect anyone. However, some people need the pneumococcal vaccination because they are at higher risk of complications. These include:
- all children under the age of two
- adults aged 65 or over
- children and adults with certain long-term health conditions, such as a serious heart or kidney condition
How Should I Use This Medicine
This vaccine is for injection into a muscle. It is given by a health care professional.
A copy of Vaccine Information Statements will be given before each vaccination. Read this sheet carefully each time. The sheet may change frequently.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 6 weeks old for selected conditions, precautions do apply.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Treat Double Pneumonia
Who Needs A Pneumococcal Vaccination
The pneumococcal vaccine is available in Scotland for all people aged 65 years and over.
It may also be available if you’re under 65 and fall under one of the following risk groups, or have one of the following serious medical conditions:
- problems with the spleen, either because the spleen has been removed or doesn’t work properly
- chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , chronic bronchitis, and emphysema
- serious heart conditions
About The Pneumonia Vaccine
Pneumonia is a common enough illness, but its one that can have potentially devastating reactions. Fortunately, theres a way to prevent the serious side effects of the disease, and possibly prevent someone from getting it to begin with.
The pneumonia vaccine is a safe way to prevent most cases, and effectively lowers the chances of catching the disease entirely. People who do get pneumonia after getting the pneumonia vaccination anyway will have a much milder case of the disease if they do happen to contract it.
Read Also: Will You Have A Fever With Pneumonia
Pneumococcal Disease And How To Protect Against It
Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, sometimes referred to as pneumococcus. Pneumococcus can cause many types of illnesses, including ear and sinus infections, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections. You can protect against pneumococcal disease with safe, effective vaccination.
See CDCs Immunization Schedule to view Pneumococcal vaccine recommendations.
Possible Side Effects After Getting A Covid
CDC has updated its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines with a preference for people to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine . Read CDCs media statement.
COVID-19 vaccination will help protect people from getting COVID-19. Adults and children may have some side effects from the vaccine, which are normal signs that their body is building protection. These side effects may affect their ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects, and allergic reactions are rare.
Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine monitoring has historically shown that side effects generally happen within six weeks of receiving a vaccine dose. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration collected data on each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines for a minimum of two months after the final dose. CDC is continuing to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines even now that the vaccines are in use.
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. Rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults have been reported more often after getting the second dose than after the first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Get a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 years and older as soon as you can.
Read Also: Signs Of Pneumonia In Infants
Who Shouldn’t Get The Pneumonia Vaccine
If you don’t meet the recommendations for the pneumonia vaccine, you really don’t need to get it, pulmonary critical care expert Reynold Panettieri, MD, director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Science at Rutgers University, tells Health. “It’s a risk-benefit ratio,” he explains. “If you’re under 65 and are otherwise healthy, your likelihood of developing pneumococcal pneumonia is unlikely,” he says.
But there are some people who explicitly shouldn’t get the vaccines, per the CDC. Those include:
- People who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to PCV13, PPSV23, an early pneumococcal conjugate vaccine called PCV7, the DTaP vaccine, or any parts of these vaccines. Talk to your doctor if you’re unsure.
- People who are currently ill.
RELATED: Could You Have Walking Pneumonia? Here’s How to Tell
Is There Risk Of Allergic Reaction From Covid
According to the CDC, anyone who has a known severe allergy to any of the vaccine ingredients should not receive that vaccine.
The CDC says people with allergies to certain foods, insects, latex and other common allergens can safely receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Those with a history of severe allergic reaction to injectables or other vaccines should discuss the vaccination with their doctor, who can evaluate and assess their risk.
Also Check: Pneumonia Vaccine Booster How Often
When To Call The Doctor
Side effects can affect you or your childs ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.
In most cases, discomfort from pain or fever is a normal sign that the body is building protection. Contact a doctor or healthcare provider:
- If the redness or tenderness where the shot was given gets worse after 24 hours
- If the side effects are worrying or do not seem to be going away after a few days
If you or your child get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you or they might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and rare severe allergic reactions.
Side Effects Of The Pneumococcal Vaccine In Babies
Mild side effects of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine , which is the version of the pneumococcal vaccine given to babies under the age of 2, include:
- a decreased appetite
- redness and swelling at the site of the injection
- feeling sleepy or not sleeping well
Serious side effects of the PCV vaccine are rare, and include:
- a high temperature, possibly leading to convulsions
- allergic reactions, such as an itchy skin rash
Read Also: Is Back Pain A Sign Of Pneumonia
Everything You Need To Know About The Pneumonia Vaccine
During the winter months, many people think that they have a nasty cold or flu, but it turns out to be pneumonia an illness that can be life threatening in certain people. A vaccine can help lower your chance of contracting pneumonia. While the pneumonia vaccine does not prevent all cases of pneumonia, it reduces the severity of the disease.
That is especially important for older adults and if you have certain medical conditions that put you at greater risk for complications.
Now is the time to talk to your doctor about your risks and if you need a vaccine to protect you against pneumonia.
Niharika Juwarkar, MD, Internal Medicine with Firelands Physician Group, answers your most frequently asked questions about pneumonia and the risks.
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a respiratory lung infection that is often mistaken for the flu. Your lungs become filled with fluid or pus that results in inflammation. Symptoms are very similar to the flu, but pneumonia can last for weeks and result in very serious complications.
While pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, most cases are due to a specific bacteria called streptococcus pneumoniae, more commonly known as pneumococcal pneumonia. This form can be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor can test to see what form of pneumonia you have. Treatment depends on the type of pneumonia you have and the severity of your symptoms. But, the best defense is vaccination.
Who is most at risk for pneumonia?