Pneumococcal vaccines help prevent serious and even life-threatening infections of the lungs, blood, or covering of the brain.
There are three types of pneumococcal vaccine – PCV15, PCV20, and PPSV23.

Who should get 1 dose of PCV20, or 1 dose of PCV15 followed by 1 dose of PPSV23 at least 1 year later:

• People 65 years of age and older who have not received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown
• People 19 -64 years of age with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors*

* Underlying medical conditions or other risk factors include alcoholism, chronic heart/liver/lung disease, chronic renal failure, cigarette smoking, cochlear implant, congenital or acquired asplenia, CSF leak, diabetes mellitus, generalized malignancy, HIV, Hodgkin disease, immunodeficiency, iatrogenic immunosuppression, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, nephrotic syndrome, solid organ transplants, or sickle cell disease or other hemoglobinopathies.

Who should get 1 dose of PCV20, or 1 dose of PCV15 followed by 1 dose of PPSV23 at least 8 weeks later:

• People with certain immunocompromising conditions,** cochlear implants and cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

**Immunocompromising conditions include chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, immunodeficiency, iatrogenic immunosuppression, generalized malignancy, human immunodeficiency virus, Hodgkin disease, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, solid organ transplants, congenital or acquired asplenia, sickle cell disease, or other hemoglobinopathies.

Adults 65 years or older can discuss and decide, with their clinician, to get PCV13.

Go to https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/pcv.pdf for information about pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal vaccines.