Get The Facts About Pneumococcal Pneumonia
Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common type of bacterial pneumonia. The risk for pneumococcal pneumonia increases with age and certain chronic conditions.
What Is It & Who’s At Risk?
Pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious disease you shouldn't ignore. It can disrupt your life for weeks and even land you in the hospital.
The immune system naturally weakens with age, so even if you're healthy and active, being 65 or older is a key risk factor for pneumococcal pneumonia.
Other factors like certain chronic health conditions further increase pneumococcal pneumonia risk in adults 19 and older compared with healthy adults of same age. With each chronic condition your risk increases further.
| Increased Risk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In adults 19+ with the following chronic conditions as compared to healthy adults of the same age. |
|||
| Aged 18-49 | Aged 50-64 | Aged 65+ | |
| Chronic Lung Disease | 19.1x | 16.3x | 9.2x |
| Chronic Heart Disease | 6.9x | 7.1x | 4.4x |
| Diabetes | 4.7x | 4.4x | 3.3x |
Causes & Transmission
Many people think pneumococcal pneumonia is a cold or the flu, but it’s not. Pneumococcal pneumonia is caused by bacteria that live in the upper respiratory tract, and it can spread to others through coughing or close contact.
Prevention
Pneumococcal pneumonia can strike any time, anywhere, in any season, so now is the time to talk to a healthcare provider about vaccination. You can't get pneumococcal pneumonia from getting vaccinated, because pneumococcal vaccines do not contain live bacteria. The CDC recommends adults 19-64 with certain chronic health conditions and all adults 65 or older talk to a healthcare provider about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination. Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines are available today at many doctor's offices, local pharmacies and at some local health departments.
