How important is the pneumococcal vaccine for my baby?

Extremely Important: Pneumococcal vaccine, also known as prevnar13, protects your infant against the most common bacterial cause of meningitis and pneumonia, as well as ear and blood infections. The risks of the vaccine are minimal and pale in comparison to the diseases prevented.

Very: Strep pneumoniae is a bacteria known for causing infant sepsis and blood sepsis in children under a year. Once the vaccine came out, blood septicemia or blood infections became fairly rare. I have had several children in my practice who have had life threatening strep pneumoniae infections, one requiring a ventilator. On a lesser note, ear infections and pneumonia are also much lower now.