Please clarify the recommended and minimum intervals between doses of PCV vaccine?
The recommended interval between the first 3 doses given under 12 months of age is 8 weeks. The minimum interval is 4 weeks. The minimum age for the 4th dose is 12 months of age and there must be at least 8 weeks between the 3rd and 4th doses. ACIP General Recommendations (see page 3) (2/20/03) We have a clinic-based influenza vaccine program and we get a lot of inquiries about the pneumococcal vaccine. The question is do you recommend the pneumococcal vaccine only in a physician-based program? We are concerned that patients don’t have their record and aren’t sure when or if they have received the vaccine? If your state and agency allow you to provide vaccines under a standing order protocol, then both influenza and pneumococcal vaccines can be administered when recommended, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr4901.pdf . The ACIP states in their recommendations for pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine that elderly persons with unknown vaccination status should be administered one dose of vaccine,
