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THIS VACCINE WILL NOT PROTECT AGAINST S. PNEUMONIAE DISEASE CAUSED BY SEROTYPES UNRELATED TO THOSE IN THE VACCINE, NOR WILL IT PROTECT AGAINST OTHER MICROORGANISMS THAT CAUSE INVASIVE INFECTIONS SUCH AS BACTEREMIA AND MENINGITIS OR NON-INVASIVE INFECTIONS SUCH AS OTITIS MEDIA.

This vaccine should not be given to infants or children with thrombocytopenia or any coagulation disorder that would contraindicate intramuscular injection unless the potential benefit clearly outweighs the risk of administration. If the decision is made to administer this vaccine to children with coagulation disorders, it should be given with caution. (See DRUG INTERACTIONS.)

Immunization with Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® does not substitute for routine diphtheria immunization.

Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® is for intramuscular use only. Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® SHOULD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BE ADMINISTERED INTRAVENOUSLY. The safety and immunogenicity for other routes of administration (eg, subcutaneous) have not been evaluated.

Fever, and rarely febrile seizure, have been reported in children receiving Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ®. For children at higher risk of seizures than the general population, appropriate antipyretics (dosed according to respective prescribing information) may be administered around the time of vaccination, to reduce the possibility of post-vaccination fever.

Minor illnesses, such as a mild respiratory infection with or without low-grade fever, are not generally contraindications to vaccination. The decision to administer or delay vaccination because of a current or recent febrile illness depends largely on the severity of the symptoms and their etiology. The administration of Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) should be postponed in subjects suffering from acute severe febrile illness.^32,33

General

CARE IS TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL FOR THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF THIS PRODUCT.

1. PRIOR TO ADMINISTRATION OF ANY DOSE OF THIS VACCINE, THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN SHOULD BE ASKED ABOUT THE PERSONAL HISTORY, FAMILY HISTORY, AND RECENT HEALTH STATUS OF THE VACCINE RECIPIENT. THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL SHOULD ASCERTAIN PREVIOUS IMMUNIZATION HISTORY, CURRENT HEALTH STATUS, AND OCCURRENCE OF ANY SYMPTOMS AND/OR SIGNS OF AN ADVERSE EVENT AFTER PREVIOUS IMMUNIZATIONS IN THE CHILD TO BE IMMUNIZED, IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE EXISTENCE OF ANY CONTRAINDICATION TO IMMUNIZATION WITH THIS VACCINE AND TO ALLOW AN ASSESSMENT OF RISKS AND BENEFITS.
2. BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATION OF ANY BIOLOGICAL, THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL SHOULD TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS KNOWN FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALLERGIC OR ANY OTHER ADVERSE REACTIONS. This should include a review of the patient's history regarding possible sensitivity; the ready availability of epinephrine 1:1000 and other appropriate agents used for control of immediate allergic reactions; and a knowledge of the recent literature pertaining to use of the biological concerned, including the nature of side effects and adverse reactions that may follow its use.
3. Children with impaired immune responsiveness, whether due to the use of immunosuppressive therapy (including irradiation, corticosteroids, antimetabolites, alkylating agents, and cytotoxic agents), a genetic defect, HIV infection, or other causes, may have reduced antibody response to active immunization.^32,33,34 (See DRUG INTERACTIONS.)
4. The use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine does not replace the use of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in children ≥ 24 months of age with sickle cell disease, asplenia, HIV infection, chronic illness or who are immunocompromised. Data on sequential vaccination with Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® followed by 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine are limited. (See PRECAUTIONS, Special Populations)
5. Since this product is a suspension containing an aluminum adjuvant, shake vigorously immediately prior to use to obtain a uniform suspension.
6. A separate sterile syringe and needle or a sterile disposable unit should be used for each individual to prevent transmission of hepatitis or other infectious agents from one person to another. Needles should be disposed of properly and should not be recapped.
7. Special care should be taken to prevent injection into or near a blood vessel or nerve.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® has not been evaluated for any carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or impairment of fertility.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Category C

Animal reproductive studies have not been conducted with this product. It is not known whether Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or whether it can affect reproductive capacity. This vaccine is not recommended for use in pregnant women.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether vaccine antigens or antibodies are excreted in human milk. This vaccine is not recommended for use in a nursing mother.

Pediatric Use

Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® has been shown to be usually well-tolerated and immunogenic in infants. The safety and effectiveness of Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® in children below the age of 6 weeks or on or after the 10th birthday have not been established. Immune responses elicited by Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® among infants born prematurely have not been adequately studied. See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION for the recommended pediatric dosage.

Geriatric Use

This vaccine is NOT recommended for use in adult populations. It is not to be used as a substitute for the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in geriatric populations.

Special Populations

Persons with Sickle Cell Disease

The immunogenicity of Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® has been investigated in an open-label, multicenter study in 49 infants with sickle cell disease. Children in France were vaccinated according to a primary immunization schedule with Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® (2, 3 and 4 months old), and 46 of these children also received a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at the age of 15-18 months. After the third dose, the proportion of subjects in the per protocol population (N=26) with an antibody response at the 0.35 ug/mL threshold ranged from 92.3% (95% CI 74.9-99.1) for serotype 6B to 100% (95% CI 86.8-100.0) for serotypes 4, 9V and 14. At the 1.0 ug/mL threshold after the third dose, the response ranged from 92.3% (95% CI 74.9-99.1) for serotypes 6B and 18C to 100% (95% CI 86.8-100.0) for serotype 4. After polysaccharide vaccination, the IgG geometric mean antibody concentration (GMC) to the seven common serotypes ranged from 6.30 µg/mL [95% CI 4.94-8.03] for serotype 18C to 29.71 µg/mL [95% CI 22.67-38.92] for serotype 19F. According to the study protocol, no GMC data were obtained for the remaining 16 pneumococcal serotypes.³⁸

In an earlier, randomized study, 23 children ≥ 2 years of age with sickle cell disease were administered either 2 doses of Prevnar (pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate) ® followed by a dose of polysaccharide vaccine or a single dose of polysaccharide vaccine alone. In this small study, safety and immune responses with the combined schedule were similar to polysaccharide vaccine alone. However, this study was too small to achieve statistically significant results.³⁹

REFERENCES

32. Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases 24th Edition. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics. 1997; 31-3.

33. Update: Vaccine Side Effects, Adverse Reactions, Contraindications, and Precautions. MMWR. 1996; 45 (RR-12):1-35.

34. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. General recommendations on immunization. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). MMWR. 2002; 51(RR-2):1-36.

38. Wyeth, Data on file: Final clinical study report 0887X-100722.

39. Vernacchio L, Neufeld EJ, MacDonald K, et al. Combined schedule of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine followed by 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine in children and young adults with sickle cell disease. J Pediatr. 1998;103:275-278.

Last reviewed on RxList: 2/4/2009
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.