An infection with pneumococci bacteria can cause serious illness in young children. That is why pneumococcal vaccination is offered through the National Immunisation Programme. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) asked the Health Council of the Netherlands to advise on the use of PCV20, a new vaccine that protects against more types of pneumococci bacteria than the current vaccine, PCV15.
The Health Council recommends not using PCV20 for the time being. The effectiveness of PCV20 is not yet known, and the additional protection of the vaccine compared to the current vaccine, PCV15, is unclear. Also, PCV20 requires an extra dose for children at the age of 2 months. This means that additional side effects can occur, such as tiredness, irritability, decreased appetite and pain and redness at the injection site. When new data on the effectiveness of PCV20 becomes available or the dosage schedule is changed, the use of this vaccine can be reconsidered.