Just 1 day before World Pneumonia Day, which is observed on November 12, 2024, a speaker at the Joint Federal Pharmacy Seminar (JFPS) gave a particularly timely talk on updated recommendations regarding pneumococcal disease prevention in adults. In a presentation theater at the meeting that was supported by Merck, Jeffrey Goad, PharmD, MPH, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), reviewed the ongoing burden and shifting epidemiology of pneumococcal disease in adults, and discussed a recent major shift in vaccine recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).1
In October 2024, officials with the CDC dropped the initial age at which adults are recommended to get vaccinated against pneumococcal disease, from 65 to 50 years, Goad noted. Despite the potential severity of pneumococcal disease, a recent NFID national survey concluded that among those at higher risk for pneumococcal disease, only 44% planned to get vaccinated; the top reason cited for avoiding vaccination was concern about potential vaccine-related adverse events.
Goad told those in attendance at JFPS that pharmacists are in a unique position to educate the public about their vaccination options, and about the importance of vaccination to prevent illness. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a leading bacterial cause of hospitalized pneumonia in the United States. Older adults and people with lung disease and other chronic medical conditions or risk factors are at increased risk of serious disease or death from pneumococcal pneumonia.
The new recommendation gives more US adults the opportunity to help protect themselves from pneumococcal disease, which can lead to serious illnesses, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections,” NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr, MD, said in an NFID press release about World Pneumonia Day.2 “Vaccination is our best defense against these serious diseases. We want everyone who is eligible to take advantage of this opportunity to help lower their risk.”
There are 3 pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV15, PCV20, PCV21) available for adult vaccination, according to the CDC’s website. ACIP officials did not state a preference for any particular vaccine, but on their website, CDC officials note, “typically, only one dose of pneumococcal vaccine is needed as an adult. However, if PCV15 is used, a second type of vaccine (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, PPSV23) is needed.”
Pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for children aged younger than 5 years and adults aged ≥50 years, as well as for children and adults at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. These vaccines can be given at the same time as other recommended vaccines, including Respiratory syncytial virus vaccines (recommended for pregnant women, adults aged ≥75 years, and adults aged 60-74 years who have certain risk factors like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Annual flu vaccines and updated COVID-19 vaccines (recommended for everyone aged ≥6 months). At the same 2024 meeting where the CDC announced the change in recommended ages, they endorsed a recommendation for people aged ≥65 years and for immunocompromised individuals to receive a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. For details on who should receive pneumococcal vaccines and when, view the CDC recommendations.
References
1. Goad J. Presentation theater: recognizing and addressing the risks of shifting epidemiology of adult pneumococcal diseases. Presented at: Joint Federal Pharmacy Seminar. November 9-12, 2024; San Diego, California.
2. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). Adults age 50 and older can help lower risk for pneumonia [press release]. Published November 8, 2024. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://www.nfid.org/adults-age-50-and-older-can-help-lower-risk-for-pneumonia