The essentials
- Usual timing
- 2, 4 and 12 months for most healthy infants
- How to get it
- Ask a primary care provider or public health unit about local appointments and funding.
Helps prevent illness from types of pneumococcal bacteria, including serious bloodstream infections, meningitis and some pneumonia. It does not prevent every ear infection or every cause of pneumonia.
School status
Recommended and publicly funded for eligible children; pneumococcal vaccination is not one of Ontario’s school-attendance requirements.
Side effects & precautions
Soreness, redness or swelling where the needle went in, fever, sleepiness or a reduced appetite can happen. Side-effect guidance
Children with certain medical conditions need a different product or additional doses. Ask for an individual review; a severe allergic reaction is rare.
Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the tongue or throat. Not sure whether a reaction is expected? Contact a healthcare provider or call 811 for advice. Seek care promptly if symptoms are worrying or getting worse.
A baby under 3 months with a fever needs urgent assessment. Do not assume the fever is from vaccination.
Useful to know
Which product?
Ontario uses Pneu-C-15 (Vaxneuvance) for young children without increased risk and Pneu-C-20 (Prevnar 20) for eligible children at increased risk. Both are non-live vaccines. The numbers mean 15 or 20 types of pneumococcal bacteria, also called serotypes. Ontario’s August 2026 fact sheet (PDF)
Ingredients & more detail
Check the exact product
Ask the clinic for the product name. Its official Canadian product information (product monograph) lists ingredients, packaging, side effects and precautions. This page is a short overview, not a complete safety list.
Your next step
Bring the immunization record and a list of questions to the visit. Ask which doses count, what comes next and how to report new doses to public health.
Sources and references (5)
- Ontario — routine immunization schedule
- Ontario Ministry of Health — pneumococcal fact sheet, August 2026 (PDF; hosted by Hamilton Public Health)
- Canadian Immunization Guide — pneumococcal vaccines
- Canadian Paediatric Society — fever and temperature taking
- Health Canada — Drug Product Database and product monographs
Program details can change. How this guide is reviewed