Home > FAQs About the importance of broader coverage with Prevnar 13^®

FAQs About the importance of broader coverage with Prevnar 13^®

• How can Prevnar 13^® help my young child?
• What's the difference between Prevnar^® and Prevnar 13^®?
• What if my child has already started the vaccination series with Prevnar^®?
• What if my child has already completed the vaccination series with Prevnar^®?
• Why is a single dose of Prevnar 13^® recommended for children who have received 4 doses of Prevnar^®?
• Can children older than 4 still receive Prevnar 13^®?

How can Prevnar 13^® help my young child?

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) can be a very serious illness in young children. You may be familiar with the vaccine Prevnar^® (Pneumococcal
7-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM₁₉₇ Protein]) that has been routinely given to infants and young children since 2000 to help protect against certain strains of pneumococcal bacteria. What you might not know is that additional strains of pneumococcal bacteria not included in the Prevnar^® vaccine are being seen more commonly today. Prevnar 13^® may provide protection against six of these strains that can cause IPD.

What's the difference between Prevnar^® and Prevnar 13^®?

Prevnar 13^® may protect young children against the same bacterial strains as Prevnar^® as well as 6 additional bacterial strains. In fact, Prevnar 13^® may help protect your child from IPD caused by some of the most common strains of pneumococcal bacteria seen today.

What if my child has already started the vaccination series with Prevnar^®?

Children who have already started receiving Prevnar^® can be switched to Prevnar 13^® at any point in the schedule.

The immune response from this schedule might be lower for the 6 additional strains (types 1, 3, 5, 6A, 7F, and 19A) than if your child had received the full 4 doses of Prevnar 13^®. It's not known how medically important this difference is.

Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of Prevnar 13^®.

What if my child has already completed the vaccination series with Prevnar^®?

For children 15 months to 5 years of age who have completed the 4-dose vaccination series with Prevnar^®, one dose of Prevnar 13^® helps protect against 6 additional strains of pneumococcal bacteria that cause serious disease.

The immune response from this schedule might be lower for the 6 additional strains (types 1, 3, 5, 6A, 7F, and 19A) than if your child had received the full 4 doses of Prevnar 13^®. It's not known how medically important this difference is.

Why is a single dose of Prevnar 13^® recommended for children who have received 4 doses of Prevnar^®?

If your child 15 months to 5 years of age has completed the 4-dose vaccination schedule for Prevnar^®, one dose of Prevnar 13^® helps protect them against 6 additional strains of pneumococcal bacteria not covered by Prevnar^®.

The immune response from this schedule might be lower for the 6 additional strains (types 1, 3, 5, 6A, 7F, and 19A) than if your child had received the full 4 doses of Prevnar 13^®. It's not known how medically important this difference is.

Can children older than 4 still receive Prevnar 13^®?
Prevnar 13^® is recommended for children 2 months to 5 years of age. Ask your child’s doctor if Prevnar 13^® is right for your child.

INDICATION FOR PREVNAR 13^®

• Prevnar 13^® is a vaccine approved for use in children 6 weeks through 5 years of age (prior to the 6th birthday).
• Prevnar 13^® is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease caused by 13 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, and 23F).
• Prevnar 13^® is also indicated for the prevention of otitis media (ear infection) caused by 7 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F). No efficacy data for ear infections are available for strains 1, 3, 5, 6A, 7F, and 19A.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR PREVNAR 13^®

• Prevnar 13^® should not be given to anyone with a severe allergic reaction to any component of Prevnar 13^®, Prevnar^® or any diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine.
• Prevnar 13^® may not protect all individuals receiving the vaccine.
• Protection against ear infections is expected to be less than that for invasive disease.
• Children with weakened immune systems may have a reduced immune response to Prevnar 13^®.
• A temporary pause of breathing following vaccination has been observed in some infants born prematurely.
• The most commonly reported serious adverse events include bronchiolitis (an infection of the lungs) (0.9%, 1.1%), gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and small intestine) (0.9%, 0.9%), and pneumonia (0.9%, 0.5%) for Prevnar 13^® and Prevnar^®, respectively.
• The most common side effects are redness, swelling and tenderness at the injection site, fever, decreased appetite, irritability, increased sleep, and decreased sleep. Any side effects associated with the vaccination should be reported to your child's health care provider.
• Ask your child's health care provider about the risks, benefits and if Prevnar 13^® is right for your child.

Please see Prescribing Information for Prevnar 13^®