PPV (Pneumonia)

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung disease that can infect the upper respiratory tract and can spread to the blood, lungs, middle ear or nervous system. Pneumococcal pneumonia mainly causes illnesses in children younger than 2 years of age and adults 65 years of age or older. The elderly are especially at risk of getting seriously ill and dying from this disease. Also, people with certain medical conditions such as chronic heart, lung, or liver diseases or sickle cell anemia are at increased risk for getting pneumococcal pneumonia.

What is the PPV (pneumonia) vaccine?

The PPV (also known as PPSV) Pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumococcal disease which is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable illness and death in the United States. The disease is caused by a common bacterium, the pneumococcus, which can attack different parts of the body. PPV protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria, including those most likely to cause serious disease. Usually only one dose of PPV is needed, but under some circumstances a second dose may be given.

• A second dose is recommended for people 65 and older who got their first dose when they were younger than 65 and it has been 5 or more years since their first dose
• A second dose is recommended for people 2 through 64 years of age who:
  • have a damaged spleen or no spleen
  • have sickle-cell disease
  • have HIV infection or AIDS
  • have cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma
  • have nephrotic syndrome
  • have had an organ or bone marrow transplant
  • are taking medication that lowers immunity (such as chemotherapy or long-term steroids)

When a second dose is given, it should be given 5 years after the first dose.

Who should get the PPV(pneumonia) vaccine?

• All adults ages 65+ who have not previously been vaccinated
• Adults ages 19-64 who smoke or have asthma
• Anyone ages 2-64 who has a long-term health problem such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, cirrhosis, leaks of cerebrospinal fluid or cochlear implant.
• Anyone ages 2-64 who has a disease or condition that lower the body’s resistance to infection, such as Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma or leukemia, kidney failure, multiple myeloma, nephrotic syndrome, HIV infection or AIDS, damaged spleen, or no spleen, or organ transplant.
• Anyone ages 2-64 who is taking a drug or treatment that lowers the body’s resistance to infection, such as long-term steroids, certain cancer drugs, or radiation therapy.

Take Care Clinics offer the PPV (pneumonia) vaccine to patients ages 7 and older.

Who should not get the PPV(pneumonia) vaccine?

Anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to PPV or to any component of the vaccine should not get another dose. Tell your provider if you have any severe allergies.

Anyone who is moderately or severely ill should probably wait until they recover before getting the vaccine.

Pregnant women should consult with their OB/GYN before getting vaccinated. While there is no evidence that PPV is harmful to either a pregnant woman or to her fetus, as a precaution, women with conditions that put them at risk for pneumococcal disease should be vaccinated before becoming pregnant, if possible.