PneumoVaccines

You suspect your patient warrants a pneumococcal vaccine. But which one? How many? In what order? At what intervals? For what indications? And what comes next? It used to be easy when it was just PPSV23 (PneumoVax) for old folks. But now we’ve got indications for complex regimens for younger adults, and the addition of PCV13 (Prevnar) to the regimens has made it super-complicated to keep straight and do properly. That’s where the app comes in. PneumoVaccines organizes and presents the practical and hard-to-remember guidance on giving pneumococcal vaccines PPSV23 and PCV13 to adults of all ages and situations and for children aged 6-18. It is based strictly upon the guidelines and recommendations on this topic issued by the Center for Disease Control & Prevention from 2010 to 2015. The app addresses such common questions as: • for a patient 65 and over, which comes first, PCV13 or PPSV23? • which younger adult patients need both vaccines and in what order? • how long do I wait to give the next shot in the sequence? • which patients need that second 5 year booster of PPSV23? • what qualifies as “immunocompromised” indications for vaccination? • how do I keep the intervals between shots straight with recommendations from CDC including 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months? • which children 6-18 need which vaccine and in which order? This app is written and intended for practicing clinicians like internists and family physicians; for nurses and pharmacists; for resident physician trainees; for medical students; and for any others who are involved in preventive care and vaccination. As an educator and clinician, I am interested in feedback and I would be grateful for guidance on improving the tool.