Kids Pneumonia Vaccine

Kids Pneumonia Vaccine

Only 37% of children between the ages 14 and 59 months have received the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13).  This alarming statistic was released on November 4, 2011 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
 
PCV13 replaces the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7).  Current recommendations include that: 1) children receive a primary series of PCV13 and 2) children between ages 14 and 59 months who have previously received the PCV7 as their primary series, receive a supplemental dose of PCV13, in order to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).  Essentially, PCV13 protects children against an additional 6 strains of pneumococcus infection.
 
Pneumococcus is a bacterial infection that can cause invasive diseases, such as pneumonia, sepsis, and/or meningitis, which can result in severe illness and/or death.  Parents are usually familiar with & doctors typically refer to this vaccine as one of the “pneumonia” vaccines.
 
If your child is less than 5 years old, please ask your kids’ doctor if they are due for PCV13.  It could prevent illness & even save their lives.  For more information regarding kids and this pneumonia vaccine, PCV13, please go to http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/default.htm#vacc.
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About Nancy M. Silva, MD, FAAP

I'm a Board Certified Pediatrician. I've been in practice since 2000. I'm happily married with two children. I graduated Medical School from the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, NY. My Pediatric Residency training was at University of South Florida, College of Medicine. I've been in private practice since 2000. As a medical student, I had the privilege to care for children at Kings County Hospital & Downstate Medical Center in urban Brooklyn. As a resident, I cared for children at Tampa General Hospital & All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. These experiences helped shape the Pediatrician I am today.

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