Pneumonia Prevention
The pneumococcal vaccine is the only pneumonia prevention measure to prevent getting pneumococcal pneumonia. Vaccines are available for children and adults.
The Vaccines and Immunizations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you get the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine if you are in any of the following groups.
- You are 65 years old or older
- You have a serious long-term health problem such as heart disease, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, lung disease (not including asthma), diabetes, or liver cirrhosis
- Your resistance to infection is lowered due to:
- HIV infection or AIDS
- Lymphoma, leukemia, or other cancers
- Cancer treatment with x-rays or medicines
- Treatment with long-term steroid medicines
- Bone marrow or organ transplant
- Kidney failure or kidney syndrome
- Damaged spleen or no spleen
- You are an Alaskan Native or from certain Native American populations
NIP also recommends that all babies and children younger than 2 years old get the pneumococcal vaccine as pneumonia prevention.
Contact your health care provider to find out whether you or your child should be vaccinated as pneumonia prevention from pneumococcal pneumonia.
Complications
In about 30 percent of people with pneumococcal pneumonia, the bacteria invade the bloodstream from the lungs. This causes bacteremia, a very serious complication of pneumococcal pneumonia that also can cause other lung problems and certain heart problems.