Important: VAERS reports alone cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or unverified information. Correlation does not equal causation.
Pneumococcal vaccines protect against pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Given primarily to young children and adults 65+, these vaccines have extensive VAERS data spanning multiple formulations.
Common:
Side effects are generally mild and resolve within 1-3 days. The conjugate vaccines (Prevnar series) tend to cause slightly more injection site reactions than Pneumovax.
Pneumonia vaccines are primarily given to elderly adults (65+) and people with chronic health conditions. This population has a naturally higher mortality rate, so many death reports in VAERS reflect the background death rate of the recipient population rather than vaccine-related events.
Pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for young children and adults 65+. See timing on the CDC vaccine schedule and our 2026 vaccine schedule analysis.
| Type | Reports | Deaths | Hosp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPV | 71,157 | 305 | 4,359 |
| PNC13 | 33,058 | 593 | 3,225 |
| PNC | 27,970 | 1,436 | 4,854 |
| PNC20 | 7,154 | 84 | 347 |
| PNC21 | 1,543 | 8 | 54 |
| PNC15 | 1,188 | 12 | 64 |
| PNC10 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
As of mid-2026, the pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine continues to be monitored through VAERS and complementary surveillance systems including the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project. No new safety signals have been identified in recent data that would change the established safety profile of this vaccine.
The HHS administration's announced development of AI-powered VAERS analysis tools may provide additional insights into pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine adverse event patterns. These tools aim to detect subtle signals that traditional statistical methods might miss, though their implementation timeline and methodology remain under development.
It's worth noting that VAERS reporting for routine vaccines like pneumonia (pneumococcal) has remained stable through the post-pandemic period. While COVID-19 vaccine reports surged and then declined, reporting patterns for established childhood and adult vaccines have been remarkably consistent, suggesting that the VAERS system continues to function as designed for ongoing safety surveillance.
When interpreting VAERS data for pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccines, several key principles apply:
VAERS data is most useful as a starting point for conversation with your healthcare provider, not as a basis for medical decisions. If you're concerned about pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine side effects:
For the most up-to-date safety information, consult the CDC's vaccine information pages or speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
As of mid-2026, the pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine continues to be monitored through VAERS and complementary surveillance systems including the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project. No new safety signals have been identified in recent data that would change the established safety profile of this vaccine.
The HHS administration's announced development of AI-powered VAERS analysis tools may provide additional insights into pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine adverse event patterns. These tools aim to detect subtle signals that traditional statistical methods might miss, though their implementation timeline and methodology remain under development.
It's worth noting that VAERS reporting for routine vaccines like pneumonia (pneumococcal) has remained stable through the post-pandemic period. While COVID-19 vaccine reports surged and then declined, reporting patterns for established childhood and adult vaccines have been remarkably consistent, suggesting that the VAERS system continues to function as designed for ongoing safety surveillance.
When interpreting VAERS data for pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccines, several key principles apply:
VAERS data is most useful as a starting point for conversation with your healthcare provider, not as a basis for medical decisions. If you're concerned about pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine side effects:
For the most up-to-date safety information, consult the CDC's vaccine information pages or speak with a qualified healthcare professional.