Vaccination

Question 1

What are the two types of pneumococcal vaccine?

Answer 1

1) Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) - given to children as part of their routine vaccinations at 3 months and 12 months
2) Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine
Offered as a one-off vaccine to all adults >65 but also to adults with other conditions
- Asplenia
- Chronic resp disease (COPD)
bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung disease. Asthma is only included if ‘it requires the use of oral steroids at a dose sufficient to act as a significant immunosuppressant’
- chronic heart disease: ischaemic heart disease if requiring medication or follow-up, heart failure, congenital heart disease. Controlled hypertension is not an indication for vaccination
- chronic kidney disease
- chronic liver disease: including cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis
- diabetes mellitus if requiring medication
- immunosuppression (either due to disease or treatment). This includes patients with any stage of HIV infection
- cochlear implants
- patients with cerebrospinal fluid leaks

Those with Asplenia or CKD need a pneumococcal every 5 years.

Question 2

How many doses of HPV vaccination are needed?

Answer 2

Now offered both both girls and boys aged 12-13. For those < 25 only 1x dose of vaccine needed.

For those 25-45 years old = 2x vaccine doses needed

For those with HIV / immunosuppressed - 3x doses needed

Now Gardasil-9 - protects from 9x varieties of HPV, including 16 & 18 (the most common cancer causing varieties)