Pneumococcal Vaccine, Injection NOO-moh-KOK-al vak-SEEN pol-ee-VAY-lent

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: vaccine

Generic and brand names: pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent, injection; pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine; PPSV; PPSV23; Pneumovax 23; PPV23

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injection (a shot) to prevent infections caused by 23 of the most common types of pneumococcal bacteria. These bacteria can infect the lungs, blood, and brain. The vaccine may be given to children over 2 years of age and to adults.

This medicine is recommended for:

• adults over the age of 65
• anyone over 2 years of age with medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease (including asthma), kidney disease, sickle cell disease, or liver disease
• alcoholics
• anyone over 2 years of age who has a weakened immune system due to diseases such as HIV, leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer, organ or bone marrow transplant, or multiple myeloma
• anyone over 2 years of age who is taking any drug or treatment that lowers the body's resistance to infection, such as long-term steroids, certain cancer drugs, or radiation therapy
• anyone over 2 years of age whose spleen has been removed or is damaged
• anyone who smokes cigarettes
• anyone who lives in a nursing home or other long-term care facility
• Alaska Natives or American Indians aged 50 to 64 years if they live in a high risk area

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• a reaction to other vaccine shots or any other medicine
• a weakened immune system from diseases such as HIV/AIDS or cancer, or from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, transplant rejection medicine, or steroid medicine
• heart disease
• Hodgkin's Disease
• lung disease
• unusual bleeding or bruising

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any infection or fever. If you are severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled, you may need to wait until you recover before getting this vaccine. If you have a mild cold or mild infection, you may still be able to get your shot.

Tell your healthcare provider about any other immunizations you have recently had or are scheduled to receive, such as the zoster vaccine.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your health care provider's approval.

How do I use it?

Usually 1 dose of this vaccine is all that is needed. However, depending on your age and risk for developing infection, you may need another dose of this vaccine several years after the first dose. Your healthcare provider will tell you how many shots you will need and when you should get them.

This vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines, such as the flu vaccine. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may cause a fever of 101° to 103°F that lasts a short time. If the fever doesn't go away or gets higher than 103°F, contact your healthcare provider.

You may have some redness, tenderness, or pain where you had the shot. It may last up to 2 days. If symptoms last longer or get worse, contact your healthcare provider.

If you have been taking an antibiotic to prevent pneumococcal infection, keep taking the antibiotic as directed. Do not stop taking the antibiotic after you receive the vaccine.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Fever over 102°F, joint pain, severe rash, severe irritability, severe headache, unusual weakness, numbness in arms or legs, unusual bruising or bleeding, seizures.

Other: Redness, tenderness, swelling, or a hard lump where the shot was given; headache; muscle aches; mild fever; nausea; vomiting; mild weakness or tiredness.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also have an effect. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• corticosteroids such as betamethasone (Celestone), cortisone, dexamethasone, fludrocortisone (Florinef), hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone, A-HydroCort), methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisone, prednisolone, and triamcinolone (Aristospan, Kenalog)
• medicines to treat cancer or radiation therapy
• immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf, Protopic)
• zoster vaccine (Zostavax)

Keep a record of all vaccines received and when you received them.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.