As of December 27, 2024, there have been 28,316 serious adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) in connection with pneumococcal vaccinations (PCV7, PCV13, PCV15, PCV20, PCV21 & PPSV23). Nearly 57 percent of these reported serious pneumococcal vaccine-related adverse events occurred in children under six years of age. Of these pneumococcal-vaccine related adverse event reports to VAERS, 2,809 were deaths, with nearly 65 percent occurring in children under six years of age. However, the numbers of vaccine-related injuries and deaths reported to VAERS may not reflect the true number of serious health problems that occur after pneumococcal vaccination.
Even though the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 legally required pediatricians and other vaccine providers to report serious health problems following vaccination to federal health agencies (VAERS), many doctors and other medical workers giving vaccines to children and adults fail to report vaccine-related health problem to VAERS. There is evidence that only between 1 and 10 percent of serious health problems that occur after use of prescription drugs or vaccines in the U.S. are ever reported to federal health officials who are responsible for regulating the safety of drugs and vaccines and issue national vaccine policy recommendations.
As of January 1, 2025, there have been 418 claims filed in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) for injuries and deaths following vaccination with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), including 26 deaths and 392 serious injuries. Of that number, the U.S. Court of Claims administering the VICP has compensated 170 children and adults, who have filed claims for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine injury. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) is not covered under the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) and compensation for injuries and deaths related to vaccination with PPSV23 are pursued in civil court.
