What are the side effects of pneumonia vaccine?

The pneumonia vaccine is used to prevent streptococcus pneumoniae bacterial infections. These bacteria can cause serious infections like pneumonia, meningitis, and blood infections. The vaccine is not used to treat an infection or cause infection, but will lower the chance of getting pneumonia making symptoms milder and the illness shorter. This vaccine is recommended for infants and young children, adults with certain medical conditions and adults 65 years or older. Lets take a deeper look into how this vaccine works and its possible side effects.

📝 Why should I have the pneumococcal vaccine?

The pneumococcal vaccine helps to protect against serious conditions caused by pneumococcal disease such as meningitis, sepsis and severe ear infections. The vaccine helps protect against invasive diseases where bacteria invade parts of the body, such as blood, which is normally free from germs. These types of diseases are usually serious illnesses resulting in long term health problems and can even be life threatening.

• Bacteraemia: Bacteria in the blood stream causing fever, tachycardia, chills and night sweats
• Bacterial meningitis: Inflammation and infection in the protective covering of the brain and spinal cord causing headaches, stiff neck and high fever
• Pneumonia: A lung infection causing a cough, difficulty breathing, high temperature and chest pain
• Sepsis: Life-threatening reaction to an infection, damaging the body’s own tissues and organs

It is important to consider vaccination to prevent you from becoming unwell or reduce the effects if you do have a pneumococcal infection, particularly if you fall into certain high risk groups.

📊 High risk groups that benefit from a pneumonia vaccine

According to the NHS guidelines the following groups are recommended to take the vaccine:

• Babies – 1st dose at 12 weeks and a booster dose at 1 year
• Older adults over 65 years and above – 1 dose when you’re 65
• Certain children and adults with higher risk health conditions – at least 1 dose (some people may need extra doses or regular doses)

Your healthcare provider can give you more details on who needs this vaccine. Some of the higher risk conditions include heart disease, diabetes, cochlear implants, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and jobs that expose you to the pneumococcal bacteria.

🛑 Who isn’t suitable for a pneumonia vaccine?

If you:

• Have had a previous severe allergic reaction to the pneumonia vaccine or any ingredients it contains
• Are suffering from a fever and are feeling unwell. The vaccine needs to be delayed until you’ve recovered
• Are pregnant or breast feeding. In these cases it is given with caution and only on the recommendation of a healthcare provider

📝 Types of pneumonia vaccines

There are two different types of pneumococcal vaccines

• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13, PCV15 and PCV20) protect against 13, 15 and 20 different types of pneumococcal bacteria respectively, including the ones most likely to cause childhood infections
• Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) protects against 23 different types of pneumococcal bacteria

📝 How does the vaccine work?

Antibodies destroy organisms or bacteria carrying disease, and help fight off infections. Vaccines work by triggering the body’s immune system to produce antibodies as if it were exposed to the actual bacteria. Then when the body is exposed to the bacteria again, it can recognise it, to fight it off.

The NHS estimates that the pneumococcal vaccine is between 50-70% effective in preventing pneumococcal disease.

📊 Side effects of the pneumonia vaccine

If you experience side effects after having had a pneumonia vaccination, this means your immune system is responding well to the vaccine and is being taught how to protect itself from the disease in the future. The most common side effects include:

Mild side effects

• Soreness at the injection site
• Loss of appetite
• Joint pain
• Tiredness

Serious side effects

• High temperature
• Allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue

Allergic reactions to any vaccine are very rare. The CDC estimates they occur in about 1 in 1 million doses.

👩‍⚕️ How to treat side effects

Mild side effects from a vaccine go away on their own within a few days and can usually be treated at home:

• Keep cool with cool drinks and a few layers
• Use over the counter medication, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen

💊 What may interact with this medication?

• Chemotherapy medicines
• Immunosuppressants
• Steroids

Always give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use before you get the vaccine.

👨‍⚕️ Speak to a healthcare professional

If you have any concerns about vaccine side effects, speak to your healthcare provider who can also offer vaccine services, providing advice and support as well as the vaccine itself.

Sources

• Pneumococcal Vaccination – Pneumococcal – CDC
• Pneumococcal vaccine – NHS
• Pneumonia – NHS
• Pneumococcal Vaccine (Prevnar, Prevnar 13): Benefits
• Pneumococcal 20-valent conjugate vaccine (intramuscular route) – Mayo Clinic