Pneumococcal Vaccination in at-Risk Populations: Addressing Year-long Efforts in Disease Prevention

Pneumococcal Vaccination in at-Risk Populations: Addressing Year-long Efforts in Disease Prevention is organized by Center for Independent Healthcare Education, LLC.

Release Date: October 23, 2023
Expiration Date: October 23, 2024

Description:
Though the past 3-4 years have been dominated by COVID-19 news and discoveries, pneumococcal disease continues to place a heavy burden on the most vulnerable populations, including older adults and those with underlying conditions. Fortunately, available vaccines are highly effective in providing protection against invasive pneumococcal infection by select serotypes, as well as pneumococcal pneumonia to some degree. However, serotype switching has made it necessary to expand the number of serotypes covered by the vaccines to ensure optimal protection against these infections. Introduction of new pneumococcal vaccines and revised recommendations have added to the complexity in selecting the optimal vaccine or vaccine series. Primary care providers (PCPs) are most often the first line of provider-patient contact, either during well, sick or follow-up visits, and are instrumental in patient education. Improving vaccination rates among vulnerable adults will depend on proactive efforts by PCPs in identifying eligible patients and strongly recommending the vaccine.

Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of the educational activity, the learner should be able to:

• Describe the clinical burden and potential complications of pneumococcal disease including pneumonia among adults at risk of infection
• Summarize current ACIP recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination among adults and differentiate serotype coverage among the available vaccination regimens
• Implement strategies to improve vaccination acceptance among adults at-risk of pneumococcal disease.