Indications & Uses
Each 0.5 mL dose of this Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine contains 25 micrograms of each of 23 pneumococcal polysaccharide serotypes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 8, 9N, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15B, 17F, 18C, 19F, 19A, 20, 22F, 23F and 33F. The vaccine is recommended for active immunization against pneumococcal disease in children aged from 2 years, adolescents and adults.
Pharmacology
Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine is made from purified capsular polysaccharide antigens taken from 23 pneumococcal serotypes. Together, these serotypes account for approximately 90% of the types that cause invasive pneumococcal disease. The capsular polysaccharides in the vaccine are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 8, 9N, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15B, 17F, 18C, 19F, 19A, 20, 22F, 23F, 33F.
Dosage Reference
Reference Information Only
Dosages shown are general references from official sources. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized dosing.
Adults:
Primary vaccination
Adults and children aged 2 years or older get one single dose of 0.5 milliliter of Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine, given by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. The vaccine is not recommended for children below 2 years of age, because its safety and efficacy have not been established and the antibody response may be poor.
Special dosing
The pneumococcal vaccine should preferably be given at least two weeks before elective splenectomy, or before chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive treatment is started. Vaccination during chemotherapy or radiation therapy should be avoided. After chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for neoplastic disease is completed, immune responses to vaccination may remain diminished. So the vaccine should not be given any sooner than three months after such therapy ends. A longer delay may be appropriate for patients who have had intensive or prolonged treatment. People with asymptomatic or symptomatic HIV infection should be vaccinated as soon as possible once the diagnosis is confirmed.
Revaccination
The dose is again one single dose of 0.5 milliliter by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. The exact timing of revaccination, and whether it is needed at all, should be decided on the basis of available official recommendations. Revaccination at an interval of less than three years is not recommended because the risk of adverse reactions is higher. Local reactions, and in people aged ≥65 years some systemic reactions, have been shown to occur at higher rates after revaccination than after primary vaccination when three to five years have passed between doses.
Adults
Healthy adults should not be revaccinated routinely. Revaccination may be considered for people at increased risk of serious pneumococcal infection who were given pneumococcal vaccine more than five years earlier, or for those known to have a rapid decline in pneumococcal antibody levels. For selected populations (e.g., asplenics) known to be at high risk of fatal pneumococcal infections, revaccination at three years may be considered.
Children
Routine revaccination is not advised for healthy children. Those of 10 years of age and over may be considered for revaccination according to the adult recommendation. For the age group between 2 and 10 years, revaccination should only be considered after 3 years, and only if the child is at high risk of pneumococcal infection (e.g., those with nephrotic syndrome, asplenia or sickle cell disease).
Side Effects
In a clinical trial, the side effects reported by more than 10% of people who had the polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine for the first time were these: pain, soreness or tenderness at the injection site (60.0%), swelling or hardening at the injection site (20.3%), headache (17.6%), redness at the injection site (16.4%), asthenia and fatigue (13.2%), and myalgia (11.9%).
Cautions & Contraindications
Warnings & Precautions
Hold off on giving Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine if the person has a significant febrile illness, another active infection, or a condition where a systemic reaction would be a real risk. The exception is when waiting would carry an even greater risk. The vaccine must never be injected into a blood vessel, so take care that the needle does not enter one. It should not be injected intradermally either, because that route is linked with more local reactions. Some patients are immunosuppressed, either because of an underlying condition or because of medical treatment (for example immunosuppressive therapy such as cancer chemotherapy or radiation therapy). In these patients the expected serum antibody response may not be reached after a first or second dose. So they may not be as well protected against pneumococcal disease as people with a normal immune system. As with any vaccine, Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine may not give complete protection to everyone who receives it. For patients on immunosuppressive therapy, the time taken for the immune response to recover depends on the illness and on the therapy. Some patients showed a significant improvement in antibody response during the two years after chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapy (with or without radiation) was completed. This was seen particularly when the gap between the end of treatment and the pneumococcal vaccination was longer. As with any vaccine, proper treatment, including epinephrine (adrenaline), should be on hand for immediate use in case an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs. Where a patient needs prophylactic antibiotic therapy against pneumococcal infection, it should not be stopped after the vaccination. Patients at especially high risk of serious pneumococcal infection (for example asplenics, and those who have received immunosuppressive therapy for any reason) should be told that they may need early antimicrobial treatment if a severe, sudden febrile illness develops. The vaccine may also not prevent infection that results from a basilar skull fracture or from an external communication with cerebrospinal fluid.
Contraindications
Don't give the Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine to anyone who has had an allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine. It should also be avoided in people with fever, an acute infection, or a chronic disease that is at an acute stage. People with uncontrolled epilepsy or other progressive diseases of the nervous system should not receive it either. Revaccination within 03 years is not recommended unless it is clearly needed.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Animal studies don't give enough information about the effect of Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine on reproduction. So the vaccine should not be used during pregnancy unless it is clearly necessary, which means the possible benefit must justify any possible risk to the fetus. It is not known whether the vaccine passes into human milk, so caution is needed when it is given to a nursing mother. The vaccine has also not been evaluated in fertility studies.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Common questions about Prenovax 23 25 mcg/0.5 ml
What is Prenovax 23 25 mcg/0.5 ml IM/SC Injection?
Prenovax 23 25 mcg/0.5 ml IM/SC Injection is a medicine that contains Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine. It is made by Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. It belongs to the Vaccines group of medicines.
What is Prenovax 23 used for?
Each 0.5 mL dose of this Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine contains 25 micrograms of each of 23 pneumococcal polysaccharide serotypes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 8, 9N, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15B, 17F, 18C, 19F, 19A, 20, 22F, 23F and 33F. The vaccine is recommended for active immunization against pneumococcal disease in children aged from 2 years, adolescents and adults.
What are the side effects of Prenovax 23?
In a clinical trial, the side effects reported by more than 10% of people who had the polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine for the first time were these: pain, soreness or tenderness at the injection site (60.0%), swelling or hardening at the injection site (20.3%), headache (17.6%), redness at the injection site (16.4%), asthenia and fatigue (13.2%), and myalgia (11.9%).
Can I take Prenovax 23 during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
Animal studies don't give enough information about the effect of Polysaccharide Pneumococcal Vaccine on reproduction. So the vaccine should not be used during pregnancy unless it is clearly necessary, which means the possible benefit must justify any possible risk to the fetus. Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Do I need a prescription for Prenovax 23?
Prenovax 23 is a prescription (Rx) medicine. Take it as your doctor advises.