In today’s fast moving world the importance of vaccination has increased a lot as compared to the past. The only reason behind it is the creation of some serious infections that were not in the past. With the latest innovations in the field of medicine many vaccines have been invented, pneumococcal vaccine is one of them. When there is a question of some serious infections, pneumococcal vaccination is considered the best option. In this all important article we will explain all the aspects about this important vaccine. Without wasting any time, let’s find out what this vaccination is, how it works, and what its benefits are.
What is Pneumococcal Disease?
Pneumococcal is an infectious disease which comes into existence due to the bacteria known as Streptococcus. It is also called pneumococcus as well. This bacterium has the unique characteristic of creating various infections, from mild to severe. In this part of the article, we are going to talk about some of the common infections that pneumococcal bacteria create. Let’s have a look.
Pneumonia
One of the common infections caused by pneumococcal bacteria is pneumonia. In this infection, bacteria attack the lungs and produce a lot of symptoms such as chest pain, fever and cough and most importantly difficulty in breathing.
Meningitis
In this type of infection, pneumococcal bacteria mainly target the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. When this happens an affected person can experience symptoms such as fever, headache confusion and stiff neck.
Bacteremia
Bacteremia is another common type of pneumococcal infection. This is actually a bloodstream infection and creates symptoms such as low blood pressure, fever and chills.
Otitis Media
At number 4 there comes otitis media that is an ear infection. This infection is mainly observed in young children rather than the elderly. Fever and ear pain are one of the common symptoms in case of otitis media.
What is Pneumococcal Vaccine?
It is very important to know what pneumococcal vaccine actually is. This special vaccine is made in order to protect against infections which are caused by a special bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Due to its different characteristics pneumococcal vaccine is divided into two types. Let’s talk about them one by one.
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13)
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in most of the cases is given to infants and young children. The major characteristics of this particular vaccine are to protect you against 13 different types of pneumococcal bacteria. Adults who have aged over 65 and are suffering from some complicated health issues; Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine is highly recommended.
Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV 23)
Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine commonly known as (PPSV 23) mainly recommended to those people who are at higher risk for those diseases which are caused by pneumococcal bacteria. PPSV 23 is given to adults aged more than 65 years and is also used in order to treat some serious medical disorders.
Who Should Get the Pneumococcal Vaccine?
Do you know who should get the pneumococcal vaccine? There are basically specific guidelines about the use of pneumococcal vaccines. In this scenario The Centres for Disease Control And Prevention strongly recommend to be vaccinated in the following ages and certain medical conditions. Let’s find out.
Infants and Young Children
PCV 13 is a routine vaccination which is given to infants and young children in four dosages at the age of 2, 4, 6 and 12 to 15 months. This vaccine is very important for boosting the immune system of the body in order to fight against these fatal diseases and infections.
Adults above 65 and Older
People whose ages are more than 65, PCV 13 and PPSV 23 both vaccines are highly recommended. The people of this age group get this vaccination in series or sequence. After the completion of PCV 13, PPSV 23 is given to the people of these particular pages as mentioned above.
People with Certain Medical Conditions
In our previous articles we have deeply described the importance of a strong immune system of the body. PCV 13 and PPSV 23 both vaccines are also recommended in some serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung diseases or those people who have weak human systems.
Smoker and People with Alcoholism
The chances of pneumococcal disease increase if you are a smoker or consume alcohol. This type of group is recommended to take pneumococcal vaccine.
Why is Pneumococcal Vaccine Important?
There are a lot of benefits to getting yourself vaccinated from pneumococcal vaccine because it prevents you from pneumococcal disease that in some of the cases can be very dangerous especially for young children and elders who have a weak Immune system. This vaccine not only prevents you from this disease but also reduces their impact as well. Here in this part of the article we are going to talk about some of the important benefits of pneumococcal vaccines.
Prevents Serious Infections
You can prevent yourself from many severe diseases that sometimes can lead a patient even to death if they are not vaccinated in time. Pneumococcal vaccine reduces the risk of some fetal diseases like pneumonia, meningitis and bacteremia in an efficient way.
Reduces Antibiotic Resistance
You can reduce the use of antibiotics when you get vaccinated in case of pneumococcal disease. The pneumococcal vaccine is useful in order to reduce the chances of pneumococcal infection. That’s why antibiotic resistance decreases to a greater extent.
Protects Unguarded Populations
Those people who have weak immune systems, the pneumococcal vaccine protects them especially against the possible attack of pneumococcal disease. Infants and those people who have chronic health issues can be protected through this vaccine.
Community defense
You can also contribute to those communities where the people are not vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. For this purpose high vaccination coverage plays its role to reduce the overall frequency of the disease.
How effective is the Pneumococcal Vaccine?
Medical studies have shown that pneumococcal vaccine is pretty much effective in order to prevent minor to serious infections which are caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Some of the important facts in this case are as follows.
PCV 13
PCV 13 is the most famous and effective vaccine that prevents some serious pneumococcal diseases especially in infants and young children. It is considered as 90% effective against infectious diseases caused by different types of pneumococcal bacteria. By injecting this vaccine the chances of other diseases such as pneumonia and otitis media reduces.
PPSV 23
Although this vaccine is less effective as compared to PCV 13 yet it is at least 62-70% useful in order to prevent some serious pneumococcal diseases. This type of vaccine is mostly given to people whose ages are above 65 years and having some medical issues.
Side Effects and Safety of the Pneumococcal Vaccine
Here in this part of the article we are going to talk about possible side effects of using pneumococcal vaccine. There is no need to be worried here because like all vaccines this vaccine can also have side effects but they are not very dangerous. These side effects can appear after using the vaccine but they are temporary. Some of the possible and common side effects are as follows.
Injection Site Reactions
A person may experience swelling, pain and redness at the area where the vaccine is injected but there is no such a serious issue. This condition actually resolves automatically within a few days in most of the cases.
Fever
The chances of minor fever are possible while injecting the pneumococcal vaccine. This happens mostly in infants and young children.
Fatigue and Muscle Pain
In some of the cases people experience fatigue and muscle pain after taking pneumococcal vaccine.
Remember serious side effects can also happen but they are rare cases. Serious or complicated side effects can be severe allergic reactions or high fever. If unfortunately any person observes these types of serious side effects then must consult your professional healthcare provider urgently.
Conclusion
Vaccines are actually life saver. It is really important to stay proactive if you care about your health. When we talk about health, vaccination is actually an important part of it. Pneumococcal vaccine is critical in order to protect you from some serious infections. That’s why by doing this you cannot only perfect yourself but also play your part to the general public as well. It is actually a responsibility of you to educate your beloved ones about the vaccination and contribute towards a healthier community.