• Transmission
• Symptoms
• Vaccination

Pneumococcal disease is caused by a common bacteria, called streptococcus pneumoniae.^1,2 The major clinical syndromes of pneumococcal disease are pneumonia, bacteraemia, and meningitis.¹ The most common clinical presentation of pneumococcal disease among adults is pneumococcal pneumonia.¹ The incubation period of pneumococcal pneumonia is 1 to 3 days.¹ The Case-fatality rate of Pneumococcal Bacteraemia, is ~12 % ¹

• Asplenia. (functional or anatomic)
• Chronic heart and/or pulmonary disease. (including asthma in adults)
• Liver or renal disease.
• Cigarette smoking. (in adults)
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak.
• Cochlear implants.¹

Transmission occurs by means of:

• Direct person-to-person contact via respiratory droplets.¹
• Autoinoculation in persons carrying the bacteria in their upper respiratory tract.¹

The spread of the organism is influenced by factors such as household crowding and viral respiratory infections.¹

Purified pneumococcal polysaccharide (23 types):

• Not effective in children younger than 2 years.^1,3
• 60 %–70 % effective against invasive disease.
• Less effective in preventing pneumococcal pneumonia.¹

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (13 types):

• > 45 % effective against vaccine-type nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia in adults
• > 65 years.
• > 75 % effective against vaccine-type invasive disease in adults > 65 years.¹

Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations:

• PCV13 - all children aged 2- 59 months
• PPSV23- all adults aged 65 years or older
• High risk children and adults older than 2 years :
• PCV13 administered followed by a dose of PPSV23 after 8 weeks, or PPSV23 alone