The shots on your child's vaccine schedule all play an important role in protecting your little one from preventable illnesses. One of them — pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) — targets a common and sometimes serious type of bacterial infection.
Here’s what parents need to know about the PCV vaccine, plus how it keeps your child safe.
What is pneumococcal disease?
Pneumococcal disease is any type of infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It's a common cause of ear infections, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections. It's also the top cause of bacterial meningitis among older kids in the United States.[1]
Invasive pneumococcal infections, like meningitis and bloodstream infections, can lead to death in some children. They are spread through person-to-person contact and are most common during winter and early spring. Vaccinating your child is the best way to protect him from these potentially dangerous infections.
The pneumococcal vaccine protects against bacterial infections including meningitis, blood infections, and ear infections. These infections are caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, a top cause for bacterial meningitis.
There are four shots in the series, and they start at 2 months old. Your child will also get additional shots at 4 months old, 6 months old, and between 12 and 15 months old.
There are two newer vaccines that protect against these infections, called PCV15 and PCV20. They offer even more protection than prior versions of the vaccine.
If your child misses a dose, he can get back on track. But let your pediatrician know right away. It’s critical for your little one’s health to make sure he’s up to date on all of his vaccinations.
What is the PCV vaccine?
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is an inactivated (meaning killed) vaccine made from small parts of pneumococcal bacteria. It gives immunity to the several strains of pneumococcal bacteria that cause the most serious infections in children.[2]
There are two types of the PCV vaccine given to children under 5 years old: PCV15 and PCV20. These new formulations replace PCV13 (a previous version of the vaccine) and protect against even more bacterial strains.
"As a pediatrician, I’ve seen the lifesaving power of the pneumococcal vaccine firsthand," says Florencia Segura, M.D., a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), pediatrician at Einstein Pediatrics in Vienna, Virginia, and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. "Vaccinating your child against pneumococcal disease means protecting them from a serious illness that could land them in the hospital, cause long-term complications, or worse — something no parent ever wants to face."
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Regardless of which vaccine is given, four doses are recommended. They're given at:
- 2 months old
- 4 months old
- 6 months old
- Between 12 and 15 months old
If your child misses a shot or starts the series later, he should still get the vaccine. Your pediatrician will recommend the right number of doses and the intervals between them depending on his age.
Why is the pneumococcal vaccine important?
Before the vaccine was available, there were about 700 cases of meningitis, 173,000 bloodstream infections, and 200 deaths from pneumococcal disease each year among children younger than 5 years old. Pneumococcal disease also caused millions of ear infections. After kids started routinely getting this vaccine, those numbers dropped quickly.[3]
"Before this vaccine, pneumococcal infections were a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections in young children — often leading to lifelong complications or even death," says Dr. Segura. "Today, thanks to the pneumococcal vaccine, we’ve dramatically reduced these cases, giving children the best chance to grow up healthy and thrive."
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