Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine indications

Indications for Use. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine maybe used for immuni2ation of persons two years of age or older who are at increased risk of pneumococcal disease. 

Table 1 [5] lists the molecular sizing results for samples of a Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Type 6B and Typhoid Vi Polysaccharide Vaccine that had been irradiated (25 kGy) using gamma rays, electron beam, and, in addition, unirradiated control samples. The values for the Kd increased for both irradiated products. This indicated that the molecular size of both products decreased under the chosen irradiation conditions. The Kds for the electron beam irradiated samples of both types of products studied still met their respective product specifications. These results are also examples of gamma irradiation administered in hours and electron beam irradiation administered in seconds at the same 25 kGy dose level having different effects on the samples in that the electron beam caused less of a decrease in molecular size of both samples than the gamma irradiation caused. 

There are two pneumococcal vaccines, a 7-valent conjugated vaccine for children younger than 6 years of age and a 23-purified-capsular polysaccharide antigen vaccine for adults. The 23 capsular types in the vaccine represent at least 85% to 90% of the serotypes that cause invasive pneumococcal infections among children and adults in the United States.41 After vaccination, an antigen-specific antibody response, indicated by a twofold or greater rise in serotype-specific antibody, develops within 2 to 3 weeks in 80% or more of healthy young adults.42... 

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