Evolving Perspectives on Pneumococcal Vaccination Across Adult Populations
Lucio Volino, PharmD, FAPhA, RUCIF, NCNTT, and Lauren Angelo, PharmD, MBA, discuss how recent CDC recommendations have lowered the age for routine pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50 years old, explore the complexities of vaccine selection and sequencing among different pneumococcal vaccines (PCV15, PCV20, PCV21, and PPSV23), and provide practical guidance for pharmacists on identifying eligible patients, overcoming vaccination barriers, and implementing systematic approaches to improve pneumococcal vaccination rates in adult populations.
EP. 1: Epidemiology and High-Risk Populations for Pneumococcal Disease
June 30th 2025Panelists 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.
EP. 2: Comparing Pneumococcal Vaccines and CDC Recommendations for Adults
June 30th 2025Panelists 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.
