Diabetes

Diabetes

PNEUMOVAX® 23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine)
Prescribing Information [External link]

Patients with diabetes* have been specifically identified as an ‘at-risk’ group for increased susceptibility to pneumococcal infection.^1,2

PPV coverage in diabetes* patients up to March 2022⁴

of diabetes patients were unprotected against pneumococcal disease in 2022⁴

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You can help protect your patients from pneumococcal disease all year round by offering PNEUMOVAX® 23 (PPV23) as part of the NHS National Immunisation Programme.^1,3

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium (pneumococcus)^1,5

Invasive pneumococcal infections caused by S. pneumoniae occur inside a major organ (such as the lungs) or the blood, and tend to cause more serious disease, like pneumonia⁵ – a leading cause of death in the UK.⁶

Want to learn more? Visit our About pneumococcal disease page.

Adults with diabetes are ~3x more likely to get a pneumococcal infection than healthy adults⁷

Diabetes patients may have abnormalities in immune function that affect their reaction to infection, including deficiencies in: antibody response, cell-mediated immunity, leukocyte function and colonisation rates.⁸

Unlike seasonal influenza, the chronic nature of diabetes means affected individuals are at risk of pneumococcal disease all year round, not only in the winter.²

Along with an increased risk of infection, patients with diabetes have an increased susceptibility to complications from pneumococcal disease, and poorer outcomes⁸

Pneumonia is responsible for nearly 1 in 3 cases of hospitalisation with longer hospital stays in diabetes patients.^9–11

In a meta-analysis of 33,000 patients with CAP, the mortality rate among patients with diabetes mellitus was 1.3x higher.¹²

Offer/administer PNEUMOVAX® 23 at your surgery all year round, to prevent your patients from falling through the cracks^1,3

PNEUMOVAX® 23 offers immunisation against pneumococcal infections in ‘at-risk’ patients 2 years old and older with diabetes.*¹

You only need a single 0.5 mL dose (injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly) for most of your eligible patients.^‡1,3

Efficacy data

• PPV23 vaccination was effective in prevention of pneumococcal diseases and reduction of medical utilisation in diabetic elderly aged 75 and older in Taiwan¹⁴
• PPV23 vaccination was shown to provide moderate long-term protection against hospitalisation with PPV23 serotype pneumonia in a prospective cohort study of adults hospitalised with CAP in the UK¹⁵
• In trials conducted in at-risk populations, including patients with diabetes mellitus, vaccine effectiveness was reported to be 50–70%³

For more information on the safety of PNEUMOVAX® 23, visit our Safety information page.

PPV23 is in stock^§ and available to order via ImmForm as part of the National Immunisation Programme, and can be given to your COPD patients at any time during the year^1,16,17 

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*Diabetes requiring insulin or antidiabetic medication.
^†PNEUMOVAX® 23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) is recommended for active immunisation against pneumococcal disease in children aged from 2 years, adolescents and adults.^3
‡Revaccination may be needed in certain at-risk groups. The timing and need of revaccination should be determined on the basis of official recommendations and in line with the SmPC.^1,3
§Subject to supply.

CAP = community acquired pneumonia; PPV = pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine; SmPC = Summary of Product Characteristics.

References

1. The Green Book – Immunisation against infectious disease (January 2020). Chapter 25 – Pneumococcal. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/ 857267/GB_Chapter_25_pneumococcal_January_2020.pdf.
2. Torres A, et al. Thorax 2015;70(10):984–989.
3. Pneumovax-23 Summary of Product Characteristics.
4. UK Health Security Agency. Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV) coverage report, England, April 2021 to March 2022. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pneumococcal-polysaccharide-vaccine-ppv-vaccine-coverage-estimates/pneumococcal-polysaccharide-vaccine-ppv-coverage-report-england-april-2021-to-march-2022.
5. NHS Inform. Pneumococcal infections. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/pneumococcal-infections.
6. Office for National Statistics. Leading causes of death, UK: 2001 to 2018. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/articles/leadingcaus esofdeathuk/2001to2018.
7. Al-Dahash R, et al. Cureus. 2022;14(3):e23612.
8. Flynn T, Lesser C. Understanding the Importance of Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in Patients With Diabetes. Available at: https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/understanding-the-importance-of-pneumococcal-disease -prevention-in-patients-with-diabetes.
9. Falcone M, et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(5):e2531.
10. Ghit, A. Egypt J Intern Med. 2023;35:16.
11. Martins M, et al. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2016;4:e000181.
12. Sözen M, et al. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2021; 20(1):757–763.
13. Abbasi E, et al. Metabol Open. 2021; 11: 100122.
14. Kuo CS, et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(26): e4064.
15. Lawrence H, et al. PLoS Med. 2020;17(10):e1003326.
16. UK Health Security Agency. The complete routine immunisation schedule from February 2022.
17. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. BNF Pneumococcal vaccine. Available at: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/pneumococcal-vaccine/.

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Supporting documentation

PNEUMOVAX® 23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine)
Prescribing Information

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