Knowledge Base Article

Did You Know?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). According to the CDC, NIAM “is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of routine vaccination for people of all ages.”

Why It Matters?

Immunity from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. Keeping your vaccinations up to date throughout life helps you combat vaccine preventable diseases. The CDC advises that all adults need a COVID-19 vaccine, Influenza (flu) vaccine every year, and Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) or Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine every ten years.

Additional Key Vaccines

Shingles Vaccine (Shingrix)

The two-dose series of shots to protect against shingles. The CDC cites that “in adults 50 years and older who have healthy immune systems, Shingrix is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles” and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)< the most common complication from shingles.”

Pneumonia Vaccines

In 2022, the percent of adults aged eighteen and over who had ever received a pneumococcal vaccination was only 23.9%. Older adults are at greatest risk of serious illness and death from pneumococcal disease. In the United States, there are two kinds of vaccines to help prevent pneumococcal disease, Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV 13, PCV15, and PCV20), and Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23).

PCV13: Prevnar 13® (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV13) is a registered trademark by Wyeth LLC and marketed by Pfizer Inc. This vaccine provides protection against infections caused by six more serotypes than PCV7. This vaccine is part of the routine childhood immunization schedule. Additionally, in 2011, it was licensed by the FDA for use in adults 50 years or older.

The CDC recommends PCV13 for all children younger than 2 years old, and people 2 years or older with certain medical conditions.

The CDC advises adults 65 years and older to discuss the need for this vaccine with their health care provider.

PCV 15: Vaxneuvance™ (Pneumococcal 15-valent Conjugate Vaccine)

On July 16, 2021, Merck announced the FDA approval of Vaxneuvance™, a new vaccine for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in adults 18 years and older caused by 15 serotypes.

PCV20: Prevnar 20™ (Pneumococcal 20-valent Conjugate Vaccine)

On June 8, 2021, Pfizer announced the FDA approval of the Prevnar 20™ vaccine for adults 18 years or older and noted that it is “the first approval of a conjugate vaccine that helps protect against 20 serotypes responsible for the majority of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia, including seven responsible for 40% of pneumococcal disease cases and deaths in the U.S.”

PPSV23: Pneumovax23® (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine or PPSV23) is a Merck product. This vaccine was approved by the FDA in 1983 and helps protect against twenty-three types of pneumococcal bacteria.

The CDC recommends this vaccine for all adults 65 years or older, people 2 through 64 years old with certain medical conditions (i.e., diabetes, heart disease or COPD), and adults 19 through 64 years old who smoke cigarettes.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine

On May 3, 2023, the FDA announced they had approved Arexvy, the first RSV vaccine approved in the United States for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in people 60 years of age and older.

On June 29, 2023, the CDC endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations for use of the RSV vaccine in people ages 60 years or older. They noted that “Adults at the highest risk for severe RSV illness include older adults, adults with chronic heart or lung disease, adults with weakened immune systems, and adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. CDC estimated that every year, RSV causes approximately 60,000-160,000 hospitalizations and 6,000-10,000 deaths among older adults.”

What Can I Do?

As a Healthcare Provider

Work with your patients to identify what vaccinations they have and have not received and utilize available resources on the CDC website for healthcare providers related to immunization schedules.

As a Healthcare Consumer

Keep your vaccination records up to date, use the CDC’s Adult Vaccine Assessment Tool to determine which vaccines are recommended for you, and share all this information with your healthcare provider so you make an informed decision on what immunizations you may need.

Resources

CDC webpages

• National Immunization Awareness Month: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/
• Vaccine Information for Adults: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/index.html
• Shingles Vaccination: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html

Merck July 16, 2021 Announcement: https://www.merck.com/news/merck-announces-u-s-fda-approval-of-vaxneuvance-pneumococcal-15-valent-conjugate-vaccine-for-the-prevention-of-invasive-pneumococcal-disease-in-adults-18-years-and-older-caused-by-15-serot/

Pfizer June 8, 2021 Announcement: https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/us-fda-approves-prevnar-20tm-pfizers-pneumococcal-20-valent

FDA May 3, 2023 RSV Vaccine Announcement: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery