Health Indicator Report of Immunizations: pneumonia, adults

Pneumococcal disease is caused by bacteria that can spread from person to person through close contact. It can cause ear infections, and it can also lead to more serious infections of the lungs (pneumonia), blood (bacteremia), and covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Anyone can get pneumococcal disease, but children under two years of age and adults aged 65 years and older, people with certain medical conditions, and cigarette smokers are at the highest risk. [[br]] Before there was a vaccine, the United States saw: *More than 700 cases of meningitis *About 13,000 blood infections *About 5 million ear infections *About 200 deaths Pneumococcal disease is common in young children, but older adults are at greatest risk of serious illness and death. Pneumococcal vaccines help protect against pneumococcal infections, including invasive disease^1^. [[br]] ====Pneumococcal Vaccines==== There are three pneumococcal vaccines that are recommended for use in the United States: *Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15/VAXNEUVANCE, PCV20/Prevnar 20) *Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23/Pneumovax23)[[br]] [[br]] The pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV15/VAXNEUVANCE, PCV20/Prevnar 20) are recommended for: *Children at 2, 4, 6, and 12 through 15 months old and up to 5 years for those who missed doses *Adults 65 years or older *Children 5 years or older with certain medical conditions *Adults aged 18 to 64 years with certain medical conditions [[br]] The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) is recommended for: *Children 2 through 18 years old with certain medical conditions *Adults who receive PCV15 *Adults who have received an earlier vaccine called PCV13^2^ [[br]] A 2006 study published in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that hospital patients who received the pneumococcal vaccine were 40 to 70 percent less likely to die than unvaccinated patients. In the study, vaccinated patients had a lower risk of respiratory failure, kidney failure, heart attack, and other complications. Vaccinated patients in the study also spent an average of two fewer days in the hospital^3^.[[br]] [[br]] ---- 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ''Pneumococcal Vaccination: Why Getting Vaccinated is important''. Retrieved from: [https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/vaccines/index.html#cdc_vaccine_basics_get_vaccinated-why-getting-vaccinated-is-important] [[br]] 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ''Pneumococcal Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know'' Retrieved from: [https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/public/index.html][[br]] 3. Vila-Crcoles, et al. Protective Effects of the 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine in the Elderly Population: The EVAN-65 Study. ''Clinical Infectious Diseases''. Retrieved from: [http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/7/860.full]