Kristen Fischer

January 9, 2025

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(Photo: Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that American adults over the age of 50 receive the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, or PCV.

The report with the updated recommendation was published on Thursday. Previously, the recommendation for the vaccine was only for adults who were aged 65 and older and people between the ages 19 and 64 who had risks for pneumococcal disease. A PCV protects against pneumococcal bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections.

On Oct. 23, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the CDC on vaccines, recommended a single dose of PCV for all adults aged 50 and older. The CDC adopted the recommendation, noting that the expanded age recommendation should enhance disease prevention in adults between the ages of 50 and 64, as they face higher rates of infection.

The risk recommendations for those between 19 and 49 years old will stay in place under the new recommendation adoption.

“The recommendation was supported by several factors, including the potential to improve vaccination coverage and reduce pneumococcal disease incidence and mortality in adults aged 50 to 64 years, particularly among demographic groups experiencing higher disease rates,” the CDC wrote in its statement.

In 2022, adults who were between 50 and 64 had higher incident rates of infection compared to all other age groups except those who were 65 and up, the CDC noted.

The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria causes pneumococcal disease. There are different types of PCV vaccines that the CDC recommends based on a person’s age and medical conditions. Older adults who have already had a PCV should talk to their doctor about which PCV to receive. 

Pneumococcal pneumonia affects about 12% to 13% of all people who are hospitalized for pneumonia. The infection leads to about 225,000 adult hospitalizations in the United States each year, the CDC reported.