evidence: Side effects from the polysaccharide version used mostly in adults include tenderness and redness at the injection site, and about 1 of every 100 people will get a fever and experience muscle aches. [...] Pneumococcal bacteria still cause hundreds of cases of meningitis, bloodstream infections and pneumonia every year in the United States. Because the pneumococcal vaccine does not cause serious side effects, the benefits of the vaccine clearly outweigh its risks.