Pneumovax 23 Dosage/Direction for Use

Administer a single 0.5-mL dose of PNEUMOVAX 23 subcutaneously or intramuscularly (preferably in the deltoid muscle or lateral mid-thigh), with appropriate precautions to avoid intravascular administration.
Timing of Vaccination: Pneumococcal vaccine should be given at least two weeks before elective splenectomy, if possible. For planning cancer chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., for patients with Hodgkin's disease or those who undergo organ or bone marrow transplantation), the interval between vaccination and initiation of immunosuppressive therapy should be at least two weeks. Vaccination during chemotherapy or radiation therapy should be avoided. Pneumococcal vaccine may be given several months following completion of chemotherapy or radiation therapy for neoplastic disease. In Hodgkin's disease, immune response to vaccination may be suboptimal for two years or longer after intensive chemotherapy (with or without radiation). For some patients, during the two years following the completion of chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapy (with or without radiation), significant improvement in antibody response has been observed, particularly as the interval between the end of treatment and pneumococcal vaccination increased.
Persons with asymptomatic or symptomatic HIV infection should be vaccinated as soon as possible after their diagnosis is confirmed.
Revaccination: All persons ≥ 65 years of age who have not received vaccine within 5 years (and were < 65 years of age at the time of vaccination) should receive another dose of vaccine.
Because data are insufficient concerning the safety of pneumococcal vaccine when administered three or more times, revaccination following a second dose is not routinely recommended.
Do not inject intravenously or intradermally.
Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. PNEUMOVAX 23 is a clear, colorless solution. The prefilled syringe is for single use only. Inject the entire contents of the syringe. It is important to use a separate sterile syringe and needle for each individual patient to prevent transmission of infectious agents from one person to another.
Use With Other Vaccines: It is recommended that pneumococcal vaccine may be administered at the same time as influenza vaccine (by separate injection in the other arm) without an increase in side effects or decreased antibody response to either vaccine. In contrast to pneumococcal vaccine, influenza vaccine is recommended annually, for appropriate populations.
PNEUMOVAX 23 and ZOSTAVAX^* should not be given concurrently because concomitant use in a clinical trial resulted in reduced immunogenicity of ZOSTAVAX. In this trial, the immunogenicity of PNEUMOVAX 23 was not affected by ZOSTAVAX.
Consider administration of the two vaccines separated by at least 4 weeks.