The Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (cont.)

Some Children Should Not Get PCV or Should Wait.

Children should not get pneumococcal conjugate vaccine if they had a serious (life-threatening) allergic reaction to a previous dose of this vaccine, or if they have a severe allergy to any vaccine component. Tell your health-care provider if your child has ever had a severe reaction to any vaccine, or has any severe allergies.

Children with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. But children who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before getting the vaccine.

What Are the Risks from PCV?

Any medicine, including a vaccine, could possibly cause a serious problem, such as a severe allergic reaction. However, the risk of any vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.

In studies (nearly 60,000 doses), pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was associated with only mild reactions:

• Up to about 1 infant out of 4 had redness, tenderness, or swelling where the shot was given.
• Up to about 1 out of 3 had a fever greater than 100.4°F, and up to about 1 in 50 had a higher fever (over 102.2°F).
• Some children also became fussy or drowsy, or had a loss of appetite.

No serious reactions have been associated with this vaccine.

Life-threatening allergic reactions from vaccines are very rare. If they do occur, it would be within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

SOURCES:

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control