Prevention of Pneumococcal pneumonia

Prevention list: Methods of prevention of Pneumococcal pneumonia mentioned in various sources includes those listed below. This prevention information is gathered from various sources, and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Pneumococcal pneumonia.

Polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine - older vaccine; not for under 2 years.
Conjugate pneumococcal vaccine - newer vaccine that works for infants.

Prevention of Pneumococcal pneumonia: The pneumococcal vaccine is the only way to prevent getting pneumococcal pneumonia. Vaccines are available for children and adults.

The CDC National Immunization Program (NIP) recommends that you get immunized against pneumococcal pneumonia 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, leaks of cerebrospinal fluid, 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 drugs; treatment with long-term steroids; bone marrow or organ transplant; kidney failure; nephrotic (kidney) syndrome; damaged spleen or no spleen.
You are an Alaskan-Native or from certain Native-American populations.

In February 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a pneumococcal vaccine for use in toddlers and children. It is the first pneumococcal vaccine approved for children younger than 2 years old [http://www.fda.gov/cber/inside/annrpt.htm,: CBER Annual Report FY2000 Issued:01-08-01, Posted: 03-15-01, Updated: 04-10-01]. NIP recommends that all children ages 2 to 23 months old get this vaccine. ¹

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Pneumococcal Pneumonia, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID

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