Burns Pediatric Practice Test

Broader serotype coverage in pneumococcal vaccines reduces disease more effectively. PCV7 protected seven pneumococcal serotypes, but disease caused by non-covered serotypes persisted, and strains like 19A became more common and sometimes harder to treat. To broaden protection, a newer vaccine that includes more serotypes was developed, and in 2010 health authorities recommended substituting this 13-valent vaccine for PCV7 in the routine pediatric vaccination schedule. This 13-valent formulation adds several serotypes not present in PCV7, expanding protection against invasive pneumococcal disease in children. The other option is not the standard pediatric replacement in 2010: the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine is used mainly in adults and some high-risk groups, not as the primary pediatric series. The older vaccine is PCV7, and PCV33 isn’t part of the licensed pediatric vaccines. So, the vaccine that replaced PCV7 in 2010 is PCV13.