Pneumococcal Pneumonia
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Should You Get a Pneumonia Vaccination?
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
 The term pneumonia refers to any infection of the lung. The "pneumonia
vaccine" is given to prevent one specific type of pneumonia--the pneumonia
caused by the Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacterium. Pneumonia
caused by Pneumococcus is the most common form of infection occurring outside of
a hospital or institutional setting in the U.S. Pneumococcus
infection is responsible for over 6,000 deaths per year in the U.S.--the
highest number for any vaccine-preventable disease. A serious complication of
pneumonia, pneumococcal meningitis, is associated with a particularly high fatality rate.
Certain groups of people are considered to be at
particularly high risk for the development of pneumonia, and the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend vaccination for these groups. Those recommended
groups include:
- People age 65 or older
- People over age two years of age who have problems
with their lungs, heart, liver, or kidneys
- People over age two years of age with health problems
like diabetes, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, or HIV/AIDS
- Persons
over two years of age who are taking any treatments that weaken the body's
immune system
- Alaskan natives and some Native American populations
Top Searched Pneumonia Terms:
vaccine, causes, treatment, signs and symptoms, bacterial, aspiration, viral, Streptococcus pneumoniae, children, mycoplasma, prevention
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Overview of pneumococcal pneumonia
Pneumonia is a lung disease. Pneumococcal pneumonia can infect the upper
respiratory tract and can spread to the blood, lungs, middle ear, or nervous
system.
Pneumococcal pneumonia mainly causes illness in children younger than 2 years
old and adults 65 years of age or older. The elderly are especially at risk of
getting seriously ill and dying from this disease. In addition, people with
certain medical conditions such as chronic heart, lung, or liver diseases or
sickle cell anemia are also at increased risk for getting pneumococcal
pneumonia. People with HIV infection, AIDS, or people who have had organ
transplants and are taking medicines that lower their resistance to infection
are also at high risk of getting this disease.
Cause of pneumococcal pneumonia
Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of viruses, bacteria, and sometimes
fungi. Pneumococcal pneumonia is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae.
S. pneumoniae is also called pneumococcus.
Transmission of pneumococcal pneumonia
Pneumococcus is spread through contact between people who are ill or who carry the bacteria in their throat. You can get pneumococcal pneumonia from respiratory droplets from the nose or mouth of an infected person. It is common for people, especially children, to carry the bacteria in their throats without being sick.
Pneumococcal pneumonia symptoms
Pneumococcal pneumonia may begin suddenly. You may first have a severe shaking chill which is usually followed by
Other symptoms may include
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