U.S. Advisory Panel Shares New Guidelines for Pneumonia Vaccines

For decades, health care guidelines have stipulated that people over the age of 65 should consider getting vaccinated for pneumonia once a year. Now there are new guidelines being released that recommend two separate vaccines for people in this age range. These vaccinations would not only help protect against pneumonia, but other common infections as well.

The revised guidelines are coming from an advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clinical research on pneumonia has highlighted a number of limitations with the older vaccination, known as Pneumovax 23. The second vaccine that they are recommending for pneumonia is called Prevnar 13.

Both of these vaccinations have been designed specifically to help protect the human body from the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. They’re usually administered on their own to older people, because these vaccines actually work in two different ways. In fact, Prevnar 13 has been commonly administered as a pediatric vaccination for the last four years to great effect.

The Prevalence of Pneumonia in America

Experts estimate that about 900,000 Americans still develop pneumococcal pneumonia each year. According to the CDC, the condition proves fatal in about 7 percent of these annual cases. The contemporary treatment usually involves antibiotics, but certain strains of the infection have developed specific resistances against these drugs.

Pneumonia is a form of lung infection which can be caused by several types of bacteria, viruses and even fungi. It’s not uncommon for people to confuse the early symptoms of this infection with a less serious condition like the common cold. However, pneumonia can also cause severe fevers and chest pain in addition to a pretty bad cough.

Pneumococcal bacteria can lead to additional invasive diseases that can also become life-threatening without immediate medical intervention:

• Meningitis – This illness causes severe inflammation in the patient’s brain and spinal cord that can be fatal.
• Bacteremia – This is a specific type of infection which occurs in the patient’s bloodstream.

The CDC estimates that more than 3,000 Americans are killed each year by these two illnesses alone.

Who’s Most at Risk for Pneumonia?

Clinical studies have also shown that healthy adults are less likely to develop full blown pneumonia when exposed to the Pneumococcal bacteria. Children younger than 2 years and senior citizens (over 65 years) are at a much greater risk. Your risk is also much greater if you’ve been diagnosed with other medical conditions like diabetes which can hamper the body’s immune system.

Most people come in contact with this bacteria through saliva or mucus. The bacteria can hold up in the nose and throat making children active carriers of the infection. It’s also the most common cause of middle-ear infections amongst children.

We expect the CDC to officially adopt these new pneumonia vaccine guidelines within the next month. However, clinical tests show that these recommendations won’t be able to protect everyone from pneumococcal disease, plus neither of these vaccines are designed to fight off infections caused viruses or fungi.