PCV

Pneumococcal vaccine prevents infection with the pneumococcus bacteria. Infection with this bacteria can make children very sick. It causes blood infections, pneumonia, and meningitis, mostly in young children. Although pneumococcal meningitis is relatively rare (less than 1 case per 100,000 people each year), it is fatal in about 1 of 10 cases in children. Pneumococcal meningitis can also lead to other health problems, including deafness and brain damage. Before routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, pneumococcal infections caused: over 700 cases of meningitis, 13000 blood infections, about 5 million ear infections, and about 200 deaths annually in the United States in children under five. In studies, most reactions after PCV13 were mild. They were similar to reactions reported after PCV7, which has been in use since 2000. Reported reactions varied by dose and age, but on average: About half of children were drowsy after the shot, had a temporary loss of appetite, or had redness or tenderness where the shot was given. About 1 out of 3 had swelling where the shot was given. About 1 out of 3 had a mild fever, and about 1 in 20 had a higher fever (over 102.2