A study comparing the long-term effectiveness of two pneumococcal vaccines, PCV13 and PPV23, in older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) revealed that PCV13 provides superior, sustained efficacy over a five-year period. While both vaccines reduced pneumonia rates and COPD exacerbations during the first year, the effectiveness of PPV23 significantly diminished after the first year. By year five, pneumonia rates in the PPV23 group had surged to 47%, while the PCV13 group maintained a low rate of 3.3%. Furthermore, COPD exacerbations occurred in 81.3% of the PPV23 group compared to just 23.6% in the PCV13 group. The PCV13 group also exhibited consistently lower BODE scores, indicating better overall COPD management.
In addition to demonstrating longer-term efficacy, the study found that PCV13’s effectiveness was independent of patient age or FEV1 levels, whereas PPV23 was only effective in patients under 55 years and had a limited duration of benefit. Notably, the use of PPV23 was associated with an increased rate of exacerbation-related hospitalizations starting as early as two years after vaccination. This research highlights PCV13 as the more durable option for preventing pneumonia and managing COPD exacerbations, suggesting it as a preferred choice for long-term vaccination in older patients with COPD.
Reference: Johnson V. PCV13 Pneumonia Vaccine Shows Longer Durability Over PPV23 in People With COPD. HCPLive. Published March 21, 2025. Accessed May 2, 2025. https://www.hcplive.com/view/pcv13-pneumonia-vaccine-longer-durability-ppv23-copd
Link: https://www.hcplive.com/view/pcv13-pneumonia-vaccine-longer-durability-ppv23-copd
