Pneumococcal disease is a condition that can affect different areas of your body. The pneumococci bacteria can cause sinusitis, ear infections, and other more serious conditions like meningitis. Getting a vaccine is the best way to protect yourself against pneumococcal disease.
In a WebMD Reddit AMA about pneumococcal disease and the vaccines that help prevent it, infectious disease expert William Schaffner, MD, discussed a variety of topics, from risk factors to ways to prevent the condition.
Schaffner, who's also a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennessee, provides answers to some of the questions asked during the Reddit AMA. The answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Which populations are considered high risk for pneumococcal disease? And what should high-risk groups know about how long protection lasts?
Schaffner: Those at increased risk of serious pneumococcal infection include people ages 50 and older, individuals younger than 50 who have a chronic medical condition, as well as people who are immunocompromised. All are recommended to receive a pneumococcal vaccine.
The protection provided by pneumococcal vaccination is quite long-lasting, so there are no recommendations for periodic re-vaccination at present.
Are people with asthma more at risk of pneumonia?
Schaffner: People with asthma are at increased risk of developing pneumonia. The increased risk is related to the underlying illness, the asthma itself, rather than the medications used to treat it. Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended even if the asthma is under good control.
What vaccines should someone with hypothyroidism get?
Schaffner: Influenza and COVID vaccines annually. Perhaps also the RSV vaccine. In addition, aim to get the pneumococcal vaccine and shingles vaccine. Check with your doctor whether you need a Tdap booster.
We hear the term "herd immunity" often. How much do healthy adults getting this vaccine protect vulnerable people?
Schaffner: Indirect protection ("herd immunity") actually worked in the opposite direction with pneumococcal vaccines. It was demonstrated that routine vaccination of children protected adults from pneumococcal disease.
This was because children often "carry" pneumococcal bacteria in their noses and can transmit them to adults. Vaccination eliminated the carriage of those pneumococcal bacteria represented in the vaccine, so those types no longer were spread to adults. So, adults also were protected — a bonus!
Adult vaccination mainly protects the person who is vaccinated, but some protection of close contacts may occur.
How prepared is the U.S. health care system for a potential pneumococcus wave, and what's the potential for an outbreak?
Schaffner: In the past, there have been occasional outbreaks of pneumococcal infections among populations in confined living spaces such as jails, nursing homes, and daycare centers. Fortunately, such small splurges of infection are uncommon.
Routine universal pneumococcal vaccination of children along with the increasing vaccination of adults ought to maintain good control of pneumococcal disease.
What behavioral things can we do to decrease our exposure to pneumococcal disease?
Schaffner: The most important thing we can do to prevent pneumococcal disease is to be vaccinated. Then, staying hydrated and well-rested, having good hand hygiene, and avoiding those who are coughing and sneezing. Influenza predisposes to pneumonia, so getting your annual flu vaccine also will help.
What do people usually not know about vaccines?
Schaffner: That vaccines are not just for kids anymore. Adults also should have their vaccination history reviewed and brought up to date. Vaccines provide protection against many serious diseases. Remember my mantra: Disease is bad, vaccines are good! Keep vaccinating!
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SOURCES:
William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease expert, professor, Vanderbilt Health, Nashville, Tennessee.
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases: "Pneumococcal Disease."
