Primary Care

ACIP Expands Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has expanded age-based recommendations for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), with a single dose now indicated for vaccine-naive adults aged 50 years and older. The updated recommendations were published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The ACIP of the CDC previously recommended a single dose of PCV for all adults aged 65 years and older and for those aged between 19 and 64 years at increased risk for disease who have no history or an unknown history of vaccination. In a June 2024 meeting, they suggested PCV21 as an option for vaccine-naive adults and proposed a review of available evidence to determine whether data supported an expansion of age-based PCV recommendations.

The ACIP Pneumococcal Vaccines Work Group then met to consider PCV use among PCV-naive adults aged between 50 and 64 years after reviewing immunogenicity and safety data, racial disparities in pneumococcal disease incidence and vaccination coverage, PCV20 post-licensure data, and economic analyses.

Following the review, the ACIP committee expanded PCV guidance to recommend a single dose for all PCV-naive adults aged 50 years and older, including those with no known vaccination history. The risk-based guidance for patients aged 19 to 49 years remained the same. Several factors in support of the expanded PCV recommendations were noted, such as the potential to increase vaccination coverage and reduce pneumococcal disease in those aged between 50 and 64 years, particularly among demographic groups with high disease rates.

"

CDC and ACIP will continue to assess safety and public health impact of pneumococcal vaccines among adults.

Coverage of circulating pneumococcal strains across health care settings in the United States is anticipated to be higher with PCV21 than with other PCVs. The ACIP recommends PCV20 or PCV21 over 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) as an option to complete a vaccine series in adults aged 19 years and older who have started their vaccine series with PCV13.

For adults with no specific contraindications, the ACIP recommends routine administration of a pneumococcal vaccine with other age-appropriate vaccines. Health care providers should consult the vaccine package insert for precautions, warnings, and contraindications. Adverse events following administration of any vaccine should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

In regard to PCV selection in communities with high rates (≥30%) of serotype 4 pneumococcal disease, the ACIP noted the following:

PCV21 contains 8 pneumococcal serotypes that are not included in previously recommended vaccines, but it does not offer coverage for serotype 4.

In certain adult populations in the Western US with high rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by serotype 4, other recommended pneumococcal vaccines, such as PCV20 alone or a combination of PCV15 and PPSV23, are expected to provide greater coverage than PCV21 against locally circulating strains.

The rate of IPD caused by serotype 4 in other areas of the Western US without IPD surveillance is currently unknown.

"CDC and ACIP will continue to assess safety and public health impact of pneumococcal vaccines among adults," study authors noted. "This includes monitoring the duration of vaccine-conferred immunity from PCV to determine the need for a booster to ensure that older adults continue to be protected under the updated vaccine recommendation and to measure any indirect effects on incidence in adults from routine childhood vaccination."

Disclosure: Some study authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors' disclosures.

This article originally appeared on Infectious Disease Advisor

ACIP Recommends RSV Vaccine For 50 To 59-Year-Olds At High Risk

ACIP Recommends RSV Vaccine for 50 to 59-Year-Olds at High Risk

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is recommending that adults aged 50 to 59 years who are at increased risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease receive a single dose of an RSV vaccine. 

The updated recommendation lowers the recommended age for RSV vaccination from 60 to 50 years in adults who are at high risk. This includes patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and those residing in long-term care facilities.

Pfizer's Abrysvo® (RSV vaccine) and GSK's Arexvy (RSV vaccine, adjuvanted) both received approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2024 to include immunization of adults aged 50 to 59 years at increased risk for RSV disease. In clinical trials, the vaccines were found to elicit noninferior immune responses in this patient population compared with adults aged 60 years and older.  

Commenting on the vote, Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: "We are pleased with ACIP's recommendation to expand the benefits of RSV immunization to more than 13 million adults aged 50 to 59 who are at increased risk for the severe consequences of this virus."

The updated recommendation is pending final approval by the director of the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services. 

References:

ACIP votes to expand recommendation for Pfizer's RSV vaccine Abrysvo® to include adults aged 50 to 59 at increased risk of disease. News release. Pfizer. April 16, 2025. Https://www.Businesswire.Com/news/home/20250416881933/en/ACIP-Votes-to-Expand-Recommendation-for-Pfizers-RSV-Vaccine-ABRYSVO-to-Include-Adults-Aged-50-to-59-at-Increased-Risk-of-Disease.

Arexvy recommended for adults aged 50-59 at increased risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease by US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. News release. GSK. April 16, 2025. Https://www.Businesswire.Com/news/home/20250415426978/en/AREXVY-recommended-for-adults-aged-50-59-at-increased-risk-for-severe-respiratory-syncytial-virus-RSV-disease-by-US-Advisory-Committee-on-Immunization-Practices.

You've read {{metering-count}} of {{metering-total}} articles this month.

We want you to take advantage of everything MPR has to offer. To view unlimited content, log in or register for free.

{{login-button}} {{register-button}}

Want to view more content from MPR?

Register now at no charge to access unlimited daily drug news, medication safety alerts & recalls, and industry-supported drug information & education.

{{login-button}} {{register-button}}

Please login or register first to view this content.

Login Register

50 Or Older? The Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccine Is Recommended For You

StatePoint

Pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that can disrupt your life for weeks and even land you in the hospital. Medical experts want you to know that there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of serious illness.

An important step is getting pneumococcal vaccination if it's recommended for you. This vaccine helps protect against pneumococcal disease, including, pneumococcal pneumonia, bloodstream infection (bacteremia), and infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). In October 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its adult immunization schedules, and now recommends pneumococcal vaccination for all adults 50 or older, even if you are healthy, and maintains its recommendation of vaccination for adults 19-49 with certain underlying medical conditions like asthma, COPD, chronic heart disease and diabetes.

"The immune system naturally weakens with age, so even if you're healthy and active, being older puts you at greater risk of severe illness from pneumococcal pneumonia. The CDC's updated guidelines are intended to keep more people healthy and safe," says Albert A. Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.

The American Lung Association maintains an ongoing educational program about pneumococcal pneumonia with Pfizer. As part of the program, they are sharing these fast facts:

Anyone can get pneumococcal pneumonia and unfortunately, it is a disease you can have more than one time. Certain populations are at higher risk for severe illness, hospitalization and death. You can use American Lung Association resources to help you determine your risk.

The symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia include fever, chills, cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, and these symptoms can appear suddenly and without warning.

Having the flu increases the likelihood of developing pneumonia, including pneumococcal pneumonia. You can reduce this risk by getting a flu shot every year to help prevent seasonal influenza. In addition, those at risk for pneumococcal disease can get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia. Ask your healthcare provider about pneumococcal vaccination today.

For more information about pneumococcal pneumonia risk factors, symptoms and prevention, visit Lung.Org/pneumococcal.

Thanks to the CDC's recommendations, more Americans can take the step of vaccinating against pneumococcal pneumonia and reducing their risk of severe illness.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

---