[Medical Q&A] Is it necessary to vaccinate children against pneumonia?

Author: Wang Lin, Chief Physician, Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics

Reviewer: Dong Jian, Chief Physician, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

Pneumonia vaccine is a vaccine made for early pneumococcal infection in babies, which can play a very effective role in preventing pneumococcal infection. It is very necessary to vaccinate children with pneumonia vaccine, which can effectively prevent various diseases caused by pneumococcal pneumonia and protect children's health. It is recommended to vaccinate children with pneumonia vaccine in time according to the national immunization plan and the doctor's advice!

For infants, severe pneumococcal infection can cause very serious consequences, such as encephalitis, meningitis or suppurative infection, suppurative meningitis, etc. Some children may also suffer from otitis media, etc. Therefore, it is very important for infants to get the pneumonia vaccine!

Babies under 2 years old are mainly given 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, where "7-valent" and "13-valent" refer to the number of antigens. The 7-valent vaccine was the original product, and later upgraded to 13-valent. Now, the vaccine is 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. Babies are given 1 dose from 6 weeks to 2 months old, and then every 1 month. 3 shots are given within 1 year old, and 1 booster shot is given after 1 year old. All shots must be completed before 15 months old.

Another type is the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine, which is mainly suitable for infants and young children over 2 years old. The production process of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is different from that of the 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. The former only requires one injection.