Lucio Volino, PharmD, FAPhA, RUCIF, NCNTT

Panelists discuss how pneumococcal vaccines differ between conjugated vaccines (PCV-15, PCV-20, PCV-21) and polysaccharide vaccines (PPSV-23) in terms of immune response mechanisms and serotype coverage, with current CDC recommendations now including all adults aged 50 and older for vaccination while maintaining risk-based recommendations for adults 19-49 years with underlying conditions such as immunocompromising diseases, chronic heart/lung/liver disease, diabetes, alcohol use disorder, and cigarette smoking.

Panelists discuss how pneumococcal disease affects adults through both non-invasive infections like pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), with current U.S. data showing over 33,000 IPD cases and 3,600 deaths in 2023, particularly impacting adults aged 50 and older who face increased risk due to age-related immunosenescence and underlying medical conditions such as compromised immune systems, chronic diseases, and social factors like crowded living environments.