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To Vaccinate or Not?
by Sabrina E. Morrissey Now, on to a
discussion of Pneumonia, an illness caused by pneumococcal bacteria.
Symptoms are the sudden onset of illness such as shaking, chills,
fever, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, pain in the chest
that is worsened by breathing deeply, and a productive cough;
bacteremia; or meningitis. Each year in the U.S., there are
approximately 500,000 cases of pneumonia, resulting in 40,000
deaths. Believe it or not, pneumonia is the most common cause of
death in America, a frightening statistic when you consider that
pneumonia is a vaccine-preventable disease. The
bacteria is spread through contact between persons who are ill or
who carry the bacteria in their throat. Transmission is mostly
through the spread of respiratory droplets from the nose or mouth of
a person with a pneumococcal infection. It is common for people,
especially children, to carry the bacteria in their throats without
being ill from it. Should you be vaccinated against
pneumonia? Current CDC guidelines say a one-time pneumococcal
vaccine should be taken if:
• 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
Hodgkin's disease; multiple myeloma; cancer treatment with x-rays or
drugs; treatment with long-term steroids; bone marrow or organ
transplant; kidney failure; HIV/AIDS; lymphoma, leukemia, or other
cancers; nephrotic syndrome; damaged spleen or no spleen; or
• You are an Alaskan Native or from certain Native
American populations.
Drugs such as penicillin were once effective in
treating these infections; but the disease has become more
resistant, making treatment of pneumonia more difficult. This
resistancy makes prevention of the disease even more important. The
pneumonia vaccine is generally considered safe based on clinical
experience. Some people develop mild, local side effects, such as
pain at the injection site and swelling, but these reactions usually
persist for less than 48 hours. Fever and more severe reactions are
rare. Whew! After reading all this information, have
you made your decision? If you are still uncertain or have
unanswered questions, call your doctor and talk it over with him or
her, and, above all, BE HEALTHY!
Sabrina E. Morrissey is Corporate Counsel and
Director of Business Development for Flu Fighters, LLC, a company
providing flu and pneumonia vaccines to companies nationwide. |
