Helixtalk - Rosalind Franklin University's College Of Pharmacy Podcast

In this episode, we will discuss the rationale behind the FDA approval of two new pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV20 and PCV15), the characteristics of these vaccines, their place in therapy as recommended by the ACIP, and subsequent CDC immunization schedule changes. Key Concepts Pneumococcal disease is mainly caused by various serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae and presentation can vary from mild forms (sinusitis, otitis media) to more severe (pneumonia, bacteremia, or meningitis). Previously we used PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccines for adults ages 18 years and older for prevention of pneumococcal disease, but the recommendations were rather complicated based on age, underlying condition/immune status, and vaccination status.  Two new conjugate-type pneumococcal vaccines, PCV20 (Prevnar 20) and PCV15 (Vaxneuvance) are now approved by the FDA and were recently added to the CDC’s adult immunization schedules. These updated recommendations are more simplified where adults with high-risk conditions and those a