Did you know that pneumonia claims more lives in the United States than all other vaccine preventable diseases combined? The bacteria that causes pneumonia can lead to serious infections of the lungs, blood and brain. You can protect yourself against pneumonia.
I have heard too many times how a patient in the hospital has passed due to the complications of pneumonia they contracted in the hospital. I recently learned there is a vaccine to protect yourself against pneumonia.
You can speak to your physician about getting the pneumonia vaccine, especially if you have one of these chronic conditions:
Asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, emphysema, heart disease, kidney disease or multiple sclerosis.
Most adults who receive the vaccine develop immunity to pneumonia within two weeks of receiving it. Only one dose is needed for a lifetime of protection. This vaccine does not contain the live virus for pneumonia, so repeated doses are not required.
A second dose may be given under certain circumstances and only on the advice of your physician. Those circumstances can be: receiving the first vaccine before age 65, the last dose was received more than 5 yrs ago and you have a chronic condition which requires a transplant or another condition that warrants receiving an additional vaccine.
If you fit into the criteria above, speak to your physician, so you can maintain good health and limit health risks.
Source: Focus Magazine/Horizon BC-BS
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2 comments:
Wow interesting facts about pneumonia! Good to know these kinda things.
Hello Jake,
Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes, these are interesting facts. I was not aware myself and thought it was important information to post so others are aware.
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