#217 Pneumonia Vaccine for Adults: Is the efficacy as effective as the effort?
CLINICAL QUESTION
How effective is the pneumococcal vaccine in preventing pneumonia or other clinically important outcomes in adults?
BOTTOM LINE
At best, pneumococcal vaccines may prevent pneumonia for an additional 1 in 55 adults and 1 in 20 COPD patients, and COPD exacerbations for 1 in 8, over ~3 years. Pneumococcal 23 polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) prevents pneumonia for 1 in 13 long-term care residents. Pneumococcal 13 conjugate vaccine (PCV13) does not decrease pneumonia. No systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or high-quality RCTs found a reduction in mortality.
Reading Tools for Practice Article can earn you MainPro+ Credits
Join NowAlready a CFPCLearn Member? Log in
EVIDENCE
Any pneumococcal vaccine:
- Systematic review of 18 RCTs, 64,901 heterogeneous patients (examples HIV or long-term care) and 13 different vaccine serotypes:1
-
-
- Pneumonia (at 2-3 years): Vaccine 4.3%, placebo 6.2%, Number Needed to Vaccinate (NNV)=55.
- Systematic review of 12 RCTs, 2,171 community-dwelling COPD patients, up to 32 months:2
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 9.4%, control 14.3%, NNV=20.
- COPD exacerbations: Vaccine 48.2%, control 60.8%, NNV=8.
- Hospital admissions: No difference.
- Vaccine effectiveness appears to show greater benefit in:3
- Miners, soldiers, and patients from developing countries.
- Lower quality (example non-blinded) studies.
-
- PPV23 highest quality RCTs at 2-3 years of:
- Long-term care: 1,006 Japanese residents.4
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 12.6%, placebo 20.6%, NNV=13.
- ≥65 years: 778 Japanese patients.5
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 17.1%, control 20.9%, not statistically different.
- COPD: 596 Spanish patients.6
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 12.4%, control 13.1%, not statistically different.
- Previous pneumonia: 691 Swedish patients.7
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 18.6%, placebo 16.2%, not statistically different.
- Study stopped for futility.
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 18.6%, placebo 16.2%, not statistically different.
- Long-term care: 1,006 Japanese residents.4
- PCV13 RCT of 84,492 healthy Dutch patients ≥65 years at four years:8
- Pneumonia: Vaccine 1.8%, placebo 1.9%, not statistically different.
- No systematic review of RCTs or high-quality RCTs demonstrated mortality reduction.
- Guidelines recommend:9,10
- PPV23 for:
- Adults ≥65 years.
- Long-term care residents.
- PPV23 booster (after five years) if:
- PPV23 given before 65 years.
- “High risk” for pneumococcal disease: Example chronic kidney/liver disease or immunocompromised.
- PCV13 (in addition to PPV23):
- Canada: Only if immunocompromised.9
- US: For all ≥65 years.10
- PPV23 for:
Latest Tools for Practice
#363 Making a difference in indifference? Medications for apathy in dementia
In patients with dementia, how safe and effective are stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics for treating apathy?
#362 Facing the Evidence in Acne, Part I: Oral contraceptives and spironolactone in females
How effective are combined oral contraceptives (COC) and spironolactone for treating acne of at least mild-moderate severity in females?
#361 Preventing RSV Infections in Infants
How safe and effective are monoclonal antibodies to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants?
