Can you take Covid (Coronavirus) and pneumonia vaccines at the same time?

COVID-19 and Pneumonia Vaccines Can Be Safely Administered Together

Yes, you can safely receive COVID-19 and pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccines at the same time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that inactivated vaccines, including pneumococcal vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines, can be safely and effectively administered simultaneously at separate anatomic sites 1.

Evidence Supporting Simultaneous Administration

• COVID-19 vaccines can be administered concurrently with influenza vaccines and pneumococcal vaccines, as they are all inactivated vaccines that do not interfere with each other's immune responses 1, 2
• Routine administration of pneumococcal vaccines with other age-appropriate vaccines at the same visit is recommended for adults who have no specific contraindications 2
• When administering multiple vaccines simultaneously, they should be given at separate anatomic sites to minimize local reactions 1
• Recent research specifically examining co-administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines with both influenza and pneumococcal vaccines found this practice to be feasible without significantly impairing neutralizing antibody responses 3

Administration Guidelines

• The vaccines should be administered at different injection sites, preferably in different limbs 1
• Individual vaccines should never be mixed in the same syringe unless specifically licensed for mixing by the FDA 1
• If you're receiving an adjuvanted or high-dose influenza vaccine along with a COVID-19 vaccine, it's best to administer them in different limbs to minimize local reactions 1

Safety Considerations

• While some drug labels (like Moderna's) note there are limited data on concomitant administration 4, subsequent clinical guidelines and research have established safety 1, 3
• A study on co-administering COVID-19, influenza, and pneumococcal vaccines found that while systemic adverse events were more common with all three vaccines together, no serious adverse events were reported 3
• Most adverse reactions to these vaccines are mild to moderate in severity and do not significantly interfere with daily activities 5
• Common side effects when receiving multiple vaccines may include:
  • Local reactions: pain, redness, and swelling at injection sites 5
  • Systemic reactions: fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and occasionally low-grade fever 5, 3

Special Populations

• For immunocompromised individuals, including those with cancer, both pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended, though timing may need to be adjusted based on treatment schedules 2
• For patients who have received hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), specific vaccination schedules are recommended for pneumococcal vaccines, and COVID-19 vaccination is recommended 6 months post-HSCT 2
• For elderly individuals, simultaneous administration of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines has been shown to be safe and effective 6

Practical Benefits of Simultaneous Administration

• Administering vaccines at the same visit increases the likelihood that patients will be fully vaccinated 1
• The CDC recommends not delaying vaccination to administer vaccines separately when they can be given simultaneously, as this may lead to missed opportunities for vaccination 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Don't delay getting one vaccine because you can't get both at the same time - both pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccines provide important protection 1
• Don't mix vaccines in the same syringe unless specifically approved for mixing 1
• Be aware that you might experience slightly more systemic side effects when receiving multiple vaccines simultaneously, but these are generally manageable 3

In conclusion, the evidence strongly supports that COVID-19 and pneumococcal vaccines can be safely and effectively administered at the same time, with the benefits of timely vaccination outweighing any potential increase in mild to moderate side effects.