Classification:
- A vaccine given to protect against several types of pneumococcal pneumonia.
Form:
- Intramuscular Injection
Recommendations:
The following people should be vaccinated:- Adults who are 65yrs of age or older
- people 2-64yrs of age who have chronic illness or other risk factors
- people living in special environments or social settings (including Alaska Natives and certain American Indian populations)
- those at highest risk of fatal pneumococcal infection
- immunocompromised persons including those with HIV infection
- those who received an organ or bone marrow transplant
- pregnant women with high-risk conditions
Instructions:
- Routinely given as a one-time dose; administer if previous vaccination history is unknown.
- One-time re-vaccination is recommended 5yrs later for people at highest risk of fatal pneumococcal infection or rapid antibody loss (e.g., renal disease) and for people >65yrs of age if the 1st dose was given prior to age 65 and >5yrs have elapsed since previous dose
- May give with all other vaccines but as a separate injection.
Contraindications:
- Previous anaphylactic reaction to this vaccine or to any of its components.
- Moderate or severe acute illness.
- Pregnancy or breast feeding is NOT a contraindication.
For More Information:
For more information about the Pneumovax vaccine, try About.com's Drug Finder.More medication fact sheets
