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On the radio this morning, there was a short piece done on the importance of seniors getting a pneumonia shot. Senior Health Advisor
"Who should have the shot?
Your healthcare provider may recommend the shot if:
* You are 65 years old or older.
* You have diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease, kidney disease, or liver disease.
* You are scheduled to have chemotherapy (have the shot at least 2 weeks before chemotherapy starts).
* You have leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, or lymphoma.
* You are an alcoholic.
* You have HIV/AIDS, an organ transplant, or another condition that has weakened your immune system.
* You have sickle cell disease.
* Your spleen has been removed.You should have no more than 2 shots of the pneumonia vaccine in your lifetime. The shots should be given at least 5 years apart."
Don't get the vaccination if you have an allergic reaction to mercury or are a smoker.
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Add a Comment5 Comments
Primary doctor would not give 79 year old sister penumonia shot. He said that the administration said no shots for those over 65. Is this true?
February 14, 2010 - 11:57amThis Comment
Anon - The Centers for Disease Control recommend the pneumonia vaccine for all adults age 65 and older. Here are the specific recommendations:
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV or Prevnar® is currently recommended for use in children under the age of 2 years.
Pneumovax® and Pnu-Immune® are 23-valent polysaccharide vaccines (PPVSV) that are currently recommended for use in all adults who are older than 65 years of age and for persons who are 2 years and older and at high risk for disease (e.g., sickle cell disease, HIV infection, or other immunocompromising conditions).
Please see the following link for information on Pneumococcal Disease and government recommendations for the pheumococcal vaccine. You may want to print it out for your sister to take to her doctor. Pat
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/in-short-both.htm
February 14, 2010 - 12:53pmThis Comment
Can a pneumonia and flu shot raise your blood sugar level
October 24, 2009 - 6:37pmThis Comment
Hello Anon -
That's a good question. I've done some research, and have not found any information that indicates having these shots affects blood sugar levels. There are, however, several important considerations that anyone with diabetes should be aware of.
Please see the following article from US News and World Report:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/diabetes/2009/10/02/diabetes-and-the-flu-6-things-you-should-know.html
Take good care,
October 28, 2009 - 6:22pmPat
This Comment
Great post, Alysia. We hear and see so much emphasis on the flu shot, and yet pneumonia can be a killer especially in the older population.
Here's an NPR piece on the pneumonia shot:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16094490
And here's a good page for people interested in knowing how the shot can prevent pneumonia:
http://www.fbhc.org/Patients/Modules/pneumonia.cfm
And since side effects always are an issue, it seems that those associated with this shot are fairly mild:
"Some people have mild side effects from the shot, but these usually are minor and last only a very short time. In studies, about half of the people getting the vaccine had mild side effects--swelling and soreness at the spot where the shot was given, usually on the arm.
"A few people (less than 1 percent) had fever and muscle pain as well as more serious swelling and pain on the arm. The pneumonia shot cannot cause pneumonia because it is not made from the bacteria itself, but from a bacterial component that is not infectious."
You still have to be cautious, as some people do have flu shot side effects. But a bout of pneumonia in an older person can be devastatingly serious, so it's seriously worth consideration.
January 23, 2009 - 9:06amThis Comment