Should Pneumococcal Vaccine Be Administered To An Elderly Patient Annually?

Posted on Wed, 25 Oct 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 Answered on

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : How often does a 64 yr old diabetic need the pneumococcal vaccine - annually or otherwise? Is the Prevnar 13 a desireable vaccination or just a marketing ploy?

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (35 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Prevnar 13 should be taken every 5 yearly.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Healthcare Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended in diabetic patients after 60 years of age.
So you should definitely take this vaccine. It is not marketing ploy.
It is not given annually. It is given every 5 yearly.
Prevnar 13 is having 13 strains of pneumococci.
Another vaccine, pneumovax 23 is superior than prevnar because it is having 23 strains of pneumococci.
So pneumovax 23 provide more protection.
Both are repeated after 5 years.
Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana