Pneumococci are bacteria and can be the cause of middle ear infection, pneumonia, blood poisoning and meningitis. In many individuals, pneumococci are part of the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract and do not cause disease. Some individuals are at risk of developing severe pneumococcal infections. These include especially young children, immunocompromised individuals or people suffering from certain chronic diseases.
When and how often should I be vaccinated against pneumococcal disease?
In Switzerland, the pneumococcal vaccine is part of the standard vaccination schedule and is recommended during the first 5 years of life. There is no recommendation for healthy adults to be vaccinated since the risk of severe disease is small. For adults with certain risk factors (e.g. immunodeficiency, certain chronic diseases), a single vaccination is recommended.
Price: 92 CHF per dose plus consultation and injection fee
What else should I know about the pneumococcal vaccine?
Several vaccines against pneumococci are licensed in Switzerland: Pneumovax-23 (PPV23) was used in the past, but is rarely used today. Although PPV23 covers different types of pneumococci, the protection is lower (no T-cell response) compared to the other vaccines. Prevenar 13 (PCV13) allows PCV13 to reduce the number of pneumococci in the normal fora of the upper respiratory tract, which is why Prevenar is the preferred vaccine. Equally good protection is provided by Vaxneuvance (PCV15), which is effective against 15 different types of pneumococcus. Prevenar 20 (PCV20) has also recently been approved, but is not yet available. As the name suggests, this vaccine even protects against 20 different types of pneumococcus.
For more information on pneumococcal disease and vaccination, please visit the website of the FOPH.
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