UKHSA Advisory Board: preparedness for infectious disease threats

How Often Do You Need To Get A Pneumonia Shot?

The pneumonia shot is a vaccine that helps protect you against pneumococcal disease, or diseases caused by bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae. The vaccine can help protect you from pneumococcal disease for many years.

One of the most common causes of pneumonia is infection of the lungs with the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae.

These bacteria mainly affect your lungs and can cause sometimes life-threatening infections in other parts of your body, too, including the bloodstream (bacteremia), or brain and spine (meningitis).

The pneumonia shot is especially recommended if you fall into one of these age groups:

Younger than 2 years old: four shots (at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and then a booster between 12 and 15 months)

65 years old or older: two shots, which will last you the rest of your life

Between 2 and 64 years old: between one and three shots if you have certain immune system disorders or if you're a smoker

Pneumococcal disease is common among babies and toddlers, so make sure your young child is vaccinated. But older adults are more at risk of having life-threatening complications from a pneumonia infection, so it's also important to start getting vaccinated around age 65.

There are two different types of pneumonia vaccines. These are:

Pneumonoccal conjugate vaccines (PCV). PCVs contain sugars from the outside of the pneumococcus bacteria which are linked, or conjugated, to a protein. The protein helps to improve the immune response to the vaccine. There are three types of PCV:

PCV13 (Prevnar13)

PCV15 (Vaxneuvance)

PCV20 (Prevnar 20)

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPSV). PPSVs contain purified sugars from the outside of the pneumococcus bacteria. There's one type of PPSV, called PPSV23 (Pneumovax 23).

The table below helps to explain some of the key differences between the four pneumonia shots.

Some other things to keep in mind:

All vaccines help prevent pneumococcal complications like bacteremia and meningitis.

PCV13, PCV15, or PCV20 can be given to children or adolescents.

Either PCV15 or PCV20 can be given to adults.

In some situations, you'll need to receive PPSV23 after getting PCV13 or PCV15. However, you don't need to receive PPSV23 if you got PCV20.

Don't get the shots too close together. Talk to your healthcare provider about when you'll need to receive your next dose.

Check with your doctor to make sure you're not allergic to any of the ingredients used to make these vaccines before getting your pneumonia shot.

The immune system reaction after a vaccine has a chance of causing side effects. But keep in mind that the substances that make up vaccines are usually the harmless sugar (polysaccharide) on surface of the bacteria. There's no need to worry that a vaccine will cause an infection.

Some possible general side effects may include:

Side effects in babies may be different from those in adults and can also include:

Rare but severe side effects in babies can be:

People of all ages with allergies to certain ingredients in the pneumonia shot may have a serious allergic reaction to the shot called anaphylaxis. During anaphylaxis, your throat can swell and make it difficult to breathe. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.

It's still possible to get pneumonia even if you've had a pneumonia shot. However, getting vaccinated can go a long way in protecting you from becoming seriously ill or developing complications due to a pneumococcal infection.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least one shot of PCV13 protects at least 80% of babies from serious pneumococcal disease. The same vaccine protects about 75% of adults over age 65 from serious pneumococcal disease.

The CDC also notes that PPSV23 is 60 to 70% effective at protecting people from serious disease caused by the 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria that the vaccine covers.

PCV15 and PCV20 are newer vaccines. Because of this, we have a little less data on their effectiveness.

A phase 3 clinical trial of PCV15 in adults aged 50 and over found that it generated a similar immune response as PCV13 while protecting against two additional types of pneumococcal bacteria. A phase 3 clinical trial of PCV20 in adults aged 18 and over had similar findings.

The pneumonia shot is an effective way to help prevent complications caused by a bacterial infection.

Get it at least once in your life, especially if you're over 64. It's best to get vaccinated when you're a baby or if you have a condition that affects your immune system, according to your doctor's recommendations.

High Seroprevalence Of IgG Antibodies To Multiple Arboviruses In People Living With HIV (PLWHIV) In Madagascar.

Fetra Angelot Rakotomalala,Julie Bouillin,Santatriniaina Dauphin Randriarimanana,Guillaume Thaurignac,Luca Maharavo,Mihaja Raberahona,Lucien Razafindrakoto,Jasmina Rasoanarivo,Mala Rakoto-Andrianarivelo,Danielle Aurore Doll Rakoto,François Xavier Babin,Tahinamandranto Rasamoelina,Eric Delaporte,Luc Hervé Samison,Martine Peeters,Eric Nerrienet,Ahidjo Ayouba

Fetra Angelot Rakotomalala

Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.

Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l'Environnement, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Julie Bouillin

TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.

Santatriniaina Dauphin Randriarimanana

Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Guillaume Thaurignac

TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.

Luca Maharavo

Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l'Environnement, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Mihaja Raberahona

Service des Maladies Infectieuses, Centre Hôspitalier Universitaire Joseph Raseta de Befelatanana, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Lucien Razafindrakoto

Service de Pneumo-Phtisiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Analakininina, Toamasina 501, Madagascar.

Jasmina Rasoanarivo

Secrétariat Exécutif du Comité National de la Lutte Contre le SIDA, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Mala Rakoto-Andrianarivelo

Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Danielle Aurore Doll Rakoto

Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l'Environnement, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

François Xavier Babin

Fondation Mérieux, 69002 Lyon, France.

Tahinamandranto Rasamoelina

Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Eric Delaporte

TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.

Luc Hervé Samison

Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.

Martine Peeters

TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.

Eric Nerrienet

Fondation Mérieux, 69002 Lyon, France.

Ahidjo Ayouba

TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.

Hospitals Gear Up To Deal With Exigency

Lucknow: All government hospitals and medical institutes in the city have made preparations to treat any injuries caused by fireworks during Diwali celebrations.At the SPM Civil Hospital, which has state's largest burn unit, 25 beds have been reserved in the burn ward. In addition, junior doctors will be on duty in the emergency room, and plastic surgeons Dr RP Singh and Dr Shekhar Bhardwaaj will be on call 24 hours a day. The blood bank also has a sufficient supply of blood.At the Balrampur Hospital, 11 beds have been reserved in the burn ward. Similarly, at the Lokbandhu Raj Narayan Combined Hospital in Alambagh, six beds each have been reserved for burn, respiratory and orthopedic patients.Similarly, an alert has been issued to doctors of plastic surgery department of KGMU.Chief medical officer (CMO) Manoj Agarwal has also issued orders to all CHCs in Lucknow to reserve beds and keep all arrangements in order. TNNWe also published the following articles recentlyDiwali: Tamil Nadu sets aside 750 beds to treat people with burn injuriesTamil Nadu has allocated 750 beds in government hospitals to treat burn-related injuries during Diwali. The hospitals will have doctors, nurses, and staff available round the clock, along with medicines and ventilators. Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital in Chennai has also set up a special ward with 20 beds and ICU beds specifically for burn patients during the festival. Additionally, the state has reported a rise in dengue cases, with over 6,300 new cases since January 2023. The government is taking measures to identify and treat the disease to prevent complications and deaths. Nine Delhi govt hospitals have no ICU bed facilities, HC toldAn expert committee appointed by the Delhi High Court has found that nine state-run hospitals in Delhi lack ICU facilities. The committee analyzed data uploaded on an online portal by various hospitals and discovered that out of 11,473 beds in Delhi government hospitals, only 1,396 were ICU/ventilator beds. The committee recommended increasing the number of ICU beds to 10% of the total beds and emphasized the need for a separate ICU department with dedicated staff. The shortage of doctors of anaesthesia was also highlighted by the panel. Viral onslaught lays Kolkata low, hospitals fear crisis of ICU bedsThe dip in temperature and rise in air pollution in Kolkata has led to an early and severe outbreak of viruses, causing upper respiratory tract infections and severe pneumonia. Hospitals are worried about a shortage of critical care beds if the infections continue to spread. The viruses include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human meta-pneumo virus, influenza, and H1N1. Physicians are concerned about the early onset and severity of the infections. Several hospitals have already seen an influx of virus-infected patients, with some requiring intensive care.

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