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By Lila Havens, Staff Writer
All adults 65 and older and younger people with certain health risks should get a pneumococcal vaccination. It helps prevent diseases caused by pneumococcal bacteria, a type of strep bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae). More people in the U.S. die from pneumococcal diseases each year than from any other vaccine-preventable disease. The toll is highest among those age 65 and older.
If you haven't gotten a pneumococcal vaccination, ask your doctor about it. It could be a matter of life and death, especially during flu season.
Why is the pneumococcal vaccine so important?
Pneumococcal bacteria cause a number of serious diseases, including:
- Pneumonia, a lung infection
- Bacteremia, a bloodstream infection that kills one out of five people who get it
- Meningitis, a brain infection that can lead to brain damage, hearing loss and death
The risk of severe illness and death from pneumococcal diseases is highest in older adults and people with underlying health problems. The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine protects against 23 strains of S. pneumoniae bacteria, including those that cause the most serious illnesses.
Flu season poses extra threats. Having the flu weakens your defenses. Bacteria may seize this chance to flourish and invade the body. This causes secondary infections that can be fatal. Pneumococcal vaccine can help prevent these infections and cut the risk for illness and death.
Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial diseases such as pneumococcal pneumonia. Increasingly, though, bacteria are becoming resistant to existing antibiotics. Successful treatment can't be guaranteed, so preventing these diseases through vaccination becomes even more important.
Who should get the pneumococcal vaccine?
Anyone can get a pneumococcal disease, but certain people are at especially high risk for these diseases. The vaccine is recommended for these people, which include:
- All adults age 65 and older
- People age 2 to 64 years old who have any of these health issues:
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- Chronic heart disease
- Chronic lung disease
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis
- Chronic kidney disease or nephrotic syndrome
- Sickle cell disease
- Damaged spleen or no spleen
- Weakened immune system due to disease (such as cancer or HIV), immune-suppressing drugs (such as long-term corticosteroids) or organ transplant
- Cerebrospinal fluid leak
- A type of surgery for deafness called a cochlear implant
- Adults age 19 through 64 who smoke or have asthma
Note:
Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) is not suitable for children younger than 2 years old. A different vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), is used in this age group. It is part of the routine vaccination series children are given between 2 months and 15 months of age.
How is the vaccine given?
The vaccine is given as a shot into a muscle or under the skin. It takes about two weeks to become effective.
One shot will probably last for your lifetime if you are healthy and get vaccinated at or after age 65. If you were vaccinated before age 65, you may need to get a second shot. You will need to wait at least five years after the first shot before you get vaccinated again. A second shot may also be needed if you have certain health problems. Talk to your doctor to see if you need a second shot.
You can get a pneumococcal vaccination any time of the year. Some people find it most convenient to get it at the same time as they get their annual flu shot.
What are the risks of the vaccine?
The pneumococcal vaccine is very safe. Many people have no side effects from it. About half have mild side effects, such as redness, swelling or pain at the site where the shot was given. Fewer than 1 percent develop a fever, muscle aches or a more serious reaction.
As with any medicine, there is a chance that the vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction, but the risk is extremely small.
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