Pneumococcal Disease

What is pneumococcal disease?

Pneumococcal disease is a serious disease that kills more people in the United States each year than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined. The disease is caused by a common bacterium, the pneumococcus. The disease can lead to infections of the lungs (pneumonia), the blood (bacteremia), and the covering of the brain (meningitis). It may also cause middle ear infections and sinusitis.

How significant is Pneumococcal disease?

Each year in the United states, there is an estimated 175,000 hospitalized cases of pneumococcal pneumonia; it is a common complication of influenza (flu). There are more than 50,000 cases of bacteremia (blood infection) and 3,000 to 6,000 cases of meningitis annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pneumococcal disease causes more than 6,000 deaths annually. More than half these cases involve adults for whom vaccination against pneumococcal disease is recommended.

Who is at risk?

Groups at particularly high risk are:

• Persons, aged 65 and older;
• Individuals with weak immune systems due to diseases, such as cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
• Persons with sickle cell disease or without a functioning spleen;
• Persons on medications, such as steroids, which lower the body’s resistance to infection;
• Persons with chronic illness, such as lung, heart, and kidney disease, diabetes, alcoholism, and cirrhosis;
• Persons who have had organ transplant;
• Residents of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.

Can pneumococcal disease be prevented?

The best way to protect against pneumococcal disease is through vaccination. The vaccine used for adults has been available for more than 20 years; however, in 2000, only 53% of those 65 years of age and older reported ever receiving it, according to “Health, United States, 2002”, a publication of the National Center for Health Statistics, published by the CDC.

When is the best time to get vaccinated?

In adults, pneumococcal vaccination with the polysaccharide vaccine, which is reimbursable by Medicare Part B, is appropriate at any time of the year. It can be given at the same time as the flu vaccine. In infants, aged 2 to 23 months, the conjugate vaccine has been incorporated into the childhood immunization schedule.

How often is vaccination needed?

In most adults who are vaccinated at age 65 or older, vaccination is needed only once in a lifetime. A second dose is recommended for those persons, 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 are in the high risk groups listed in this document.

Who should not be vaccinated?

Individuals who have had a previous allergic reaction, (such as hives or difficulty breathing) to the pneumococcal vaccine should avoid the vaccination. The vaccine should also be avoided during radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Where can I get the vaccination?

Contact your doctor (primary care physician) and make an appointment to be vaccinated.

How can I learn more?

• Contact Unicoi County Memorial Hospital, Inc., Director of Infection Control, Cynthia Bates, RN CIC @ 1-423-743-1210.
• Call your local or state health department.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
  Call 1-800-232-4636
  Visit the National Immunization Program website at www.cdc.gov/nip