| Shortages of Prevnar becuase of production delays have led children to get fewer than the officially recommended 4 dose series of this important vaccine. In fact, since last March, unless they were high risk, children have been getting only two doses.
The CDC now reports that production problems have been resolved and that we can start giving children 3 doses of the series. Keep in mind that is still less than the 4 doses that are recommended, but it helps to make sure that as many children as possible get as many doses as possible so that they have some protection.
An interim catch-up schedule is provided below for children who are incompletely vaccinated. The highest priority for catch-up vaccination is to ensure that children aged <5 years at high risk for invasive pneumococcal disease are fully vaccinated. Second priorities include vaccination of healthy children aged <24 months who have not received any doses of PCV7 and vaccination of healthy children aged <12 months who have not yet received 3 doses.
If you think that your child is behind in getting his Prevnar vaccines (which he likely is if he is younger than 12 to 18 months old), then you should talk to your Pediatrician at your next visit about getting caught back up.
The following table can be used to help you figure out how many doses of Prevnar your child needs and should have:
Recommended 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV7) regimens during the vaccine shortage by age, history, and condition.
| Age at examination |
Vaccination History |
Recommended Regimen* |
|
| 2-6 months |
0 doses |
3 doses, 2 months apart |
|
1 dose |
2 doses, 2 months apart |
|
2 doses |
1 dose, 2 months after the most recent dose |
| 7-11 months |
0 doses |
2 doses, 2 mos apart; third dose at age 12-15 mos |
|
1 dose before age 7 mos |
1 dose at age 7-11 mos, with another dose at age 12-15 mos (>= 2 mos later) |
|
2 doses before age 7 mos |
1 dose at age 7-11 mos |
| 12-23 months |
0 doses |
2 doses, >= 2 mos apart |
|
1 dose before age 12 mos |
2 doses, >= 2 mos apart |
|
1 dose at age >= 12 mos |
1 dose >= 2 months after the most recent dose |
|
2 doses at age < 12 mos |
1 dose >= 2 months after the most recent dose |
| 24-59 months |
|
|
| Healthy Children |
|
Not Routinely Recommended† |
| Children at High Risk§ |
Any incomple schedule of < 3 doses |
1 dose >= 2 months after the most recent dose and another dose >= 2 months later |
|
Any incomple schedule of 3 doses |
1 dose >= 2 months after the most recent dose |
*For children vaccinated at age < 12 months, the minimum interval between doses is 4 weeks. Doses administered at age >= 12 months should be >= 8 weeks apart.
†When the shortage is resolved competely, health care providers should consider administering a single dose to unvaccinated, healthy children aged 24-59 months (with priority given to children aged 24-35 months), black children, American Indian children not otherwise identified as high risk§, and children who attend day care centers.
§Children with sickle cell disease, asplenia, chronic heart or lung disease, diabetes, cerebrospinal fluid leak, cochlear implant, human immunodeficiency virus infection or another immunocompromising condition, and Alaska Native or Amercian Indian children in areas with demonstrated risk for invasive pneumococcal disease more than twice the national average (ie, Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, and Navajo populations in Colorado and Utah).
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