According to the CDC,
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) can prevent pneumococcal disease.
Pneumococcal disease refers to any illness caused by pneumococcal bacteria. These bacteria can cause many types of illnesses, including pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs. Pneumococcal bacteria are one of the most common causes of pneumonia.
Besides pneumonia, pneumococcal bacteria can also cause:
- Ear infections
- Sinus infections
- Meningitis (infection of the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord)
- Bacteremia (bloodstream infection)
Anyone can get pneumococcal disease, but children under 2 years of age, people with certain medical conditions, adults 65 years or older, and cigarette smokers are at the highest risk.
Most pneumococcal infections are mild. However, some can result in long-term problems, such as brain damage or hearing loss. Meningitis, bacteremia, and pneumonia caused by pneumococcal disease can be fatal.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a serious injury or death.
What Vaccine Injuries could occur?
- Shoulder Injury
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Redness and / or tenderness at the injection site
- Mild fever
- Headaches and chills
- Muscle pain
- Fussiness
Although rare, serious side effects can occur, including:
- Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA)
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of the face and throat
- Anaphylactic shock
- Febrile seizures (convulsions caused by a fever)
- Dizziness or weakness
- Hives
- Hoarseness or wheezing
- Congestive heart failure
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- Peritonitis
- Septic shock
- Asthma
What should I do?
- If you think it is a severe allergic reaction or other emergency that can’t wait, call 9-1-1 or get the person to the nearest hospital. Otherwise, call your doctor.
- Afterward, the reaction should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your doctor might file this report, or you can do it yourself through the VAERS website, or by calling 1-800-822-7967.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines.
US Vaccine Law is a national vaccine law firm that gets compensation for those injured as a result of a vaccine. The federal vaccine trust fund was set up because vaccine injuries, while rare, are real. Contact as at 781-239-1000 or info@usvaccinelaw.com