What is Pneumococcal Disease
How to prevent Pneumococcal Disease
Who should get a Pneumococcal Polysaccharide vaccine
How many doses of PPV are needed
 What is Pneumococcal Disease
Pneumococcal disease is a serious disease that causes sickness and death. In fact, pneumococcal disease kills
more people in the United States each year than all other vaccine preventable diseases combined. Anyone can get
pneumococcal disease. However, some people are at greater risk from the disease. These include people 65 and older,
the very young and people with special health problems such as alcoholism, heart or lung disease, kidney failure,
diabetes, HIV infection or certain types of cancer.
Pneumococcal disease can lead to serious infections of the lungs (pneumonia), the blood (bacteremia) and the covering
of the brain (meningitis). About 1 out of every 20 people who get pneumococcal pneumonia dies from it, as do
about 2 people out of 10 who get bacteremia and 3 people out of 10 who get meningitis. People with the special
health problems mentioned above are even more likely to die from the diease.
Drugs such as penicillin were once effective in treating these infections; but the disease has become more resistant
to these drugs, making treatment of pneumococcal infections more difficult. This makes prevention of the disease
through vaccination even more important.
How to prevent Pneumococcal Disease
The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria. Most healthy
adults who get the vaccine develop protection to most or all of these types within 2 to 3 weeks of getting
the shot. Very old people, children under 2 years of age, and people with some long-term illnesses might not
respond as well or at all.
Who should get a Pneumococcal Polysaccharide vaccine
All adults 65 years of age or older should consider getting the PPV.
Anyone over 2 years of age who has a longterm health problem such as:
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Sickle cell disease
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Cirrhosis
- Leaks of cerebrospinal fluid
Anyone over 2 years of age who has a disease or condition that lowers the body's
resistance to infection, such as:
- Hodgkin's disease
- Lymphoma or leukemia
- Kidney failure
- Multiple myeloma
- Nephrotic syndrome
- HIV infection or AIDS
- Damaged spleen, or no spleen
- organ transplant
Anyone over 2 years of age who is taking any drug or treatment that lowers the body's
resistance to infection, such as:
- Long-term steroids
- Certain cancer drugs
How many doses of PPV are needed
Usually one dose of PPV is all that is needed. However, under some circumstances a second dose may be given.
A second dose is recommended for those people aged 65 and older who got their first dose when they were
under 65, if 5 or more years have passed since that dose.
A second dose is also recommended for people who have:
- A damaged spleen or no spleen
- Sickle cell disease
- HIV infection or AIDS
- Cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma
- Kidney failure
- Had an organ or bone marrow transplant
- Are taking medication that lowers immunity (such as chemotherapy or long-term steroids)
Additionally, children 10 years old and younger may get this second dose 3 years after the first dose.
Finally, those older than 10 should get it 5 years after the first dose.
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