Do children receive the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV 13) vaccination?

PCV13 Vaccination in Children

Yes, children routinely receive PCV13 (13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) as a standard part of their immunization schedule, starting at 2 months of age. 1

Standard Vaccination Schedule for Healthy Children

Infants Starting at 2 Months

• Administer a 4-dose series at ages 2,4,6, and 12-15 months 1, 2
• The minimum interval between primary series doses (first 3 doses) is 4 weeks 1
• The booster dose at 12-15 months must be given at least 8 weeks after the third dose 1
• Premature infants should receive PCV13 at their chronologic age (not corrected age) if medically stable 1

Catch-Up Schedules for Unvaccinated Children

Children 7-11 months:

• Give 3 total doses: 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart, then a third dose at 12-15 months (at least 8 weeks after the second dose) 1, 2

Children 12-23 months:

• Give 2 doses with at least 8 weeks between doses 1, 2

Healthy children 24-59 months:

• Give only 1 dose if previously unvaccinated or with incomplete schedule 1, 2

Children with High-Risk Medical Conditions

Children 24-71 months with underlying conditions (including asplenia, immunocompromising conditions, cochlear implants, or CSF leaks):

• Give 2 doses of PCV13 with at least 8 weeks between doses if unvaccinated or received <3 doses before age 24 months 1, 3
• These children also need PPSV23 (23-valent polysaccharide vaccine) at least 8 weeks after completing PCV13 1, 3

Children 6-18 years with high-risk conditions:

• A single dose of PCV13 may be given to those with anatomic/functional asplenia, immunocompromising conditions, cochlear implants, or CSF leaks, regardless of prior PCV7 or PPSV23 vaccination 1, 2
• Routine PCV13 is NOT recommended for healthy children ≥5 years 1

Transitioning from PCV7 to PCV13

For children who started vaccination with the older PCV7 vaccine:

• Complete the series with PCV13 1
• Children aged 14-59 months who completed a full PCV7 series should receive one supplemental dose of PCV13 to provide protection against the 6 additional serotypes 1
• The supplemental dose should be given at least 8 weeks after the most recent PCV7 dose 1

Critical Timing Considerations

For planned procedures:

• Complete PCV13 vaccination at least 2 weeks before elective splenectomy, immunocompromising therapy, or cochlear implant placement 2

Interrupted schedules:

• Do not restart the series—simply continue from where the child left off using age-appropriate catch-up schedules 3

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Never give PPSV23 before PCV13 in vaccine-naive children with high-risk conditions, as this can impair the subsequent immune response to PCV13 3
• Do not skip the supplemental PCV13 dose in children who completed PCV7 series—they remain susceptible to the 6 additional serotypes covered by PCV13 4
• PCV13 can be given concurrently with other routine childhood vaccines but must be administered in a separate syringe at a separate injection site 1
• Do not give PCV13 and PPSV23 simultaneously—the safety and efficacy of concurrent administration has not been studied 1

Safety Profile

PCV13 has a safety profile comparable to PCV7 5, 6:

• Most common reactions include injection-site pain/tenderness (48.8%), erythema (46.6%), irritability (70%), and drowsiness (59.2%) 1
• Fever >39°C occurs in only 5.3% of recipients 1
• The vaccine is well-tolerated across all age groups from infants through adolescents 7, 6

Effectiveness

Both PCV13 and PCV10 demonstrate significant effectiveness against vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease:

• PCV13 effectiveness ranges from 67-96% depending on the dosing schedule (3+1 or 2+1) 8
• PCV13 provides robust immune responses to all 13 serotypes when given as catch-up vaccination to older children 7, 6