Pneumococcal Vaccines

Pneumococcus is also known as S. pneumoniae or diplococcus.The microorganism protects itself from the immunesystem by producing a capsular polysaccharide that ishighly antigenic. This polysaccharide is used to prepare thevaccine. The antigen form of pneumococcal vaccine is capsularpolysaccharide fragments, and the antigen type is apolysaccharide mixture. The antigen is 23-valent. The followingare indications:
? Induction of active immunity against pneumococcal diseasecaused by the pneumococcal antigen types included in the vaccine (the vaccine protects against pneumococcalpneumonia, pneumococcal bacteremia, and other pneumococcalinfections)
? All adults at least 65 years old
? All immunocompetent individuals who are at increasedrisk of the disease because of pathological conditions
? Children at least 2 years old with chronic illness associatedwith increased risk of pneumococcal disease or itscomplications.