Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (13-valent, adsorbed): a guide to its use in older adults

Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (13-valent, adsorbed) (PCV13; Prevenar 13(®); Prevnar 13(®)) is approved in adults aged ≥50 years (focus of review) and in children aged 6 weeks to 5 years for protection against pneumococcal diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in numerous countries worldwide, including the US and those in the EU; specific indications may vary between individual countries. Polysaccharide conjugated vaccines such as PCV13 may have an immunological advantage over unconjugated vaccines [e.g. 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23)], since immunization with conjugated vaccines results in the development of T-cell-dependent immune responses, whereas unconjugated vaccines do not lead to booster responses on revaccination. In clinical trials in adults aged ≥50 years, PCV13 elicited a functional immune response and, overall, was shown to be noninferior to PPV23 for all 12 serotypes common to the two vaccines. Furthermore, PCV13 elicited significantly greater functional immune responses than PPV23 for the majority of serotypes common to both vaccines. PCV13 administered concomitantly with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine generally produced antibody responses that were noninferior to those following sequential administration of the vaccines. The PCV13 vaccine was generally well tolerated in older adults participating in these trials.