Disease it protects from

The PNEUMO-P vaccine protects against 23 strains (types) of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae that cause pneumococcal disease. These 23 strains cause more than 25% of pneumococcal disease in any age and over 65% of pneumococcal disease in adults age 65 years or older.

Who should get this vaccine

You should get the PNEUMO-P vaccine if:

• You are age 65 years or older.
• You are between the ages of 2 years and 64 years and have a high risk of serious pneumococcal disease because of health problems.
• You live in a long-term care facility.
• You have other risks, such as homelessness or an alcohol or substance use problem.

Who should not get this vaccine

You may not be able to get this vaccine if:

• You have an allergy to any part of the vaccine.
• You had a severe (serious) or unusual side effect after this vaccine or one like it.

If you have allergies or have had a side effect to this vaccine, check with your doctor or a public health nurse before you get the vaccine.

Although you can get the vaccine if you have a mild illness, such as a cold or fever, you should stay home until you are feeling better to prevent spreading your illness to others.

Doses

Healthy people age 65 years or older need 1 dose.

You may need 1 or 2 doses of this vaccine at an earlier age if you have certain health problems such as:

• your spleen was removed or does not work well
• heart, lung, liver, or kidney problems
• chronic cerebral spinal fluid leak
• cochlear implants
• diabetes
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• a weak immune system because of disease or medicine you take
• sickle cell disease
• you have had or will have a stem cell or solid organ transplant

Check with your healthcare provider to find out if you need doses at an earlier age and how many doses you need.

You still need a dose when you turn age 65 years, even if you have already had the vaccine. Before you get this dose, you need to wait 5 years from when you had your previous dose of this vaccine.

Other vaccines that protect against the same diseases

There are other vaccines that protect against pneumococcal disease:

Pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PNEU-C13)

• PNEU-C13 protects against 13 types of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae that cause pneumococcal disease. As part of the routine schedule, children get this vaccine starting at age 2 months.
• You may be recommended to get both the PNEU-C13 and PNEUMO-P vaccine if you had your spleen removed or have a weak immune system or other health problems.
• If you need both the PNEUMO-P and PNEU-C13 vaccines, it is best to get the PNEU-C13 vaccine first. The 2 vaccines must be carefully spaced, as recommended by your healthcare provider, so you do not get them too close together.

Pneumococcal 20-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV 20)

• This vaccine is available to buy from pharmacies or doctors for people 18 years of age and older. If you have had this vaccine, you may not need the PNEUMO-P vaccine.

Ask your healthcare provider what pneumococcal vaccines you should have.

Get the vaccine

You can get the vaccine at your local public health or community health centre. You may also be able to get it from your doctor or pharmacist.

PNEUMO-P and other vaccines

You can get a PNEUMO-P vaccine at the same time, any time before, or any time after most vaccines. However, certain vaccines have a waiting period. Check with your healthcare provider about when you can get the PNEUMO-P vaccine if you:

• need both the PNEUMO-P and PNEU-C13 vaccines
• had any vaccines in the last 2 weeks

How well it works

How well the vaccine works depends on your age and general health. In older adults and high-risk groups, the protection against a serious infection from pneumococcal disease is 50% to 80%.

Protection may weaken after 5 to 10 years. However, getting more doses of the vaccine may not boost protection and is not recommended at this time.

It takes about 10 to 15 days after getting the vaccine to be protected against pneumococcal disease.

Safety

Vaccine safety is a top priority. Canada uses extremely safe vaccines. Learn more about vaccine safety in Canada, including how vaccines are monitored for continued safety, and ingredients in vaccines.

Side effects

There can be side effects from the PNEUMO-P vaccine, but they tend to be mild and go away in a few days. Side effects may include:

• redness, warmth, swelling, a hard spot, or feeling sore where you had the needle
• feeling tired
• a headache
• a fever
• body aches

At least 1 out of 100 people who got this vaccine reported 1 or more of these side effects. In some cases, it is unknown if the vaccine caused these side effects.

It is important to stay at the clinic for 15 minutes after your vaccine. Some people may have a rare but serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. If anaphylaxis happens, you will get medicine to treat the symptoms.

It is rare to have a serious side effect after a vaccine. Call Health Link at 811 to report any serious or unusual side effects.

How to manage side effects

• To help with soreness and swelling, put a cool, wet cloth over the area where you had the needle.
• There is medicine to help with fever or pain. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you're not sure what medicine or dose to take. Follow the directions on the package.
• Some people with health problems, such as a weak immune system, must call their doctor if they get a fever. If you’ve been told to do this, call your doctor even if you think the fever is from the vaccine.

There can be mild, short-term side effects after getting a vaccine. Find tips to manage these side effects at home.