Pneumococcal Vaccines Information for Health Professionals

November 2024

There are two types of vaccines to protect against pneumococcal disease.

  • Pneumococcal 15-Valent Conjugate Vaccine (Pneu-C-15), Vaxneuvance
  • Pneumococcal 20-Valent Conjugate Vaccine‎ (Pneu-C-20), Prevnar 20

They will replace PCV13 C-13 (Prevnar 13®) and PPSV-23 (Pneumovax 23®).
Children or adults who received all eligible publicly funded doses of pneumococcal vaccines are not eligible for additional dose(s) of the newer vaccine, at this time.

For more information, refer to the Canadian National Advisory Committee of Immunization (NACI) and Ontario’s Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule.

Timing and Spacing for Publicly Funded Pneumococcal Vaccines

Routine schedule

Client group Age Dose(s) Vaccine Type
healthy infant series two, four and 12 months three-dose series PCV15a
older adults 65 years and older one dose PCV20b

a PCV15 (Pneu-C-15), Vaxneuvance

b PCV20 (Pneu-C-20), Prevnar 20

Childhood catch up series

Client group Age Dose(s) Vaccine Type
healthy toddlers 12 to 23 months two doses, two months apart PCV15
healthy children two to five years one dose PCV15

 

For children the greatest risk for invasive pneumococcal disease occurs in healthy children less than six years of age. NACI does not recommend routine vaccination after this age. Older children benefit more from herd protection from younger children.

High risk schedule Prevnar®20 (Pneu-C-20)

In Ontario:

  • PCV20 (Pnevnar®20) is publicly funded (free) for adults ages 65+*.

‡Publicly funded pneumococcal vaccine for high-risk individuals

High-Risk Clients Dosage Vaccine Type Indications
ages two, four, six, 12 months total of four doses PCV20 See below #1 to 17
age two to 64 years one dose PCV20 See below #1 to 17
ages two years and older one dose (as second dose) PCV20 See below #1, 3, 8 & 9
ages 50 years and older one dose PCV20 See below #1 to 7
ages 50 years and older three doses PCV20 Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) recipient

Indications for PCV20

  1. Asplenia (functional or anatomic), splenic dysfunction
  2. Congenital (primary) immunodeficiencies involving any part of the immune system, including B-lymphocyte (humoral) immunity, T-lymphocyte (cell) mediated immunity, complement system (properdin, or factor D deficiencies), or phagocytic functions
  3. HIV infection
  4. Immunocompromising therapy including use of long-term systemic corticosteroid, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, post-organ transplant therapy, certain anti-rheumatic drugs and other immunosuppressive therapy
  5. Malignant neoplasms, including leukemia and lymphoma
  6. Sickle-cell disease and other sickle cell hemoglobinopathies
  7. Solid organ or islet cell transplant (recipient)
  8. Hepatic cirrhosis due to any cause
  9. Chronic renal disease, including nephrotic syndrome
  10. Chronic cardiac disease
  11. Chronic liver disease, including hepatitis B and C
  12. Chronic respiratory disease, excluding asthma, except those treated with high-dose corticosteroid therapy
  13. Chronic neurologic conditions that may impair clearance of oral secretions
  14. Diabetes mellitus
  15. Cochlear implant recipients (pre/post implant)
  16. Chronic cerebral spinal fluid leak
  17. Residents of nursing homes, homes for the aged and chronic care facilities or wards 18. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) (recipient)
  18. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) (recipient)