Q: Where can I get a Prevnar 13 shot and is it covered by insurance?
A: Pneumococcal disease, spread from person to person through direct contact, is the result of an infection from streptococcus pneumonia bacteria. The disease can progress to severe health problems that include pneumonia, meningitis and blood infections.
Prior to the vaccine being introduced, pneumococcal infections in children were known to cause almost five million ear infections, 13,000 blood infections, more than 700 cases of meningitis, and about 200 deaths annually. Meningitis is a somewhat rare infection of the covering of the brain affecting less than one in every 100,000 individuals annually. The problem is that it can lead to such health issues as deafness and brain damage and when it occurs in children, it is fatal in approximately one in every 10 cases. Today it is estimated about 4,000 adults still die annually because of pneumococcal infections.
There are more than 90 types of pneumococcal bacteria known. PCV13 or Prevnar 13, the brand name, protects against – you guessed it – 13 of them. It’s the 13 strains that cause the majority of the severe infections in children and approximately half of those known in adults. PCV is routinely given to children at 2, 4, 6, and at 12-15 months of age. The vaccine is also, in some instances, recommended for older children and for adults. You don’t indicate your age, but there is another pneumococcal infection known as PPSV23 available for some children and adults, including those over the age of 65. Your physician can discuss this with you.
Individuals of any age who have ever experienced a life-threatening allergic reaction to Prevnar, to PCV7, or to any vaccine that contains diphtheria toxoid, are advised not to get the PCV vaccine. Side effects from this (or any other injections) may cause side effects that, as a general rule, are mild and dissipate on their own. However, serious reactions may occur. For children, this may include drowsiness, redness, swelling and tenderness at the injection site, fever, irritability, and a temporary loss of appetite. When it comes to adults, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and site tenderness may occur. More severe considerations might be hives, palpitations, weakness, dizziness, anaphylaxis, and more. So, can I recommend that you receive a Prevnar 13 injection? Absolutely not. This is a decision you and your primary care physician should discuss, based on your medical history and other considerations. Your physician should be advised of any medications you may be on for the treatment of psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disorders, oral/nasal/injectable steroid drugs, and if you are on chemotherapy or radiation therapy. You may not be a good candidate, or else you may need to wait until other medications are completed before you can receive the Prevnar 13.
Prevnar 13 may not protect against streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes not in the vaccine. It is unknown whether Prevnar 13 can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Further, most studies involve infants and children. The safety and effectiveness of Prevnar 13 for seniors has not been established. What is known is that the product should not be used as a substitute for 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) in geriatric populations.
Your physician likely has Prevnar 13 or can order it. Speak with him or her to determine if it is right for you. Whether it is covered by insurance will depend on your individual policy. In this instance, speak with the staff at your physician’s office for their guidance.
