How Often to Get a Pneumonia Shot

Everyone knows how dangerous a disease pneumonia is. This is a lung disease that is generally bacterial in nature. This is an infectious condition that is characterized by inflammation of the parenchymatous tissue of the lungs. This can prove to be a fatal disease, especially if it occurs as a complication in an immunocompromised patient. However, there is hope for people who are looking to prevent getting a bout of pneumonia. Immunization with the help of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine helps to prevent the incidence of pneumonia. However, something that many people wonder about is pneumonia shot, how often to get it? Also, if a person has previously suffered from pneumonia then does he need to get the pneumonia vaccine, how often if yes?

How Often Should One Get a Pneumonia Vaccine?

First of all, you need to know that if a person is above the age of sixty-five years, then only one pneumonia vaccine shot suffices and lasts for the rest of his life. This is because a person's immunity after that age does not require repeated booster doses. However, it is best to get a pneumonia shot before you reach the age of sixty-five years because the effects are better and the body can thus, keep this disease at bay for longer if a person gets a pneumonia shot at a younger age.

If you're younger than sixty-five years, then you need to know that the center for disease control says that it is not clear as to exactly how long the vaccine lasts. Younger patients who receive immunization with pneumonia vaccine are frequently advised to get a second dose around five or ten years later but there is concern that the subsequent doses may not provide as much immunity when taken as a booster dose.

You also need to keep in mind that if you have not been vaccinated and you are sixty-five years of age or older, you should get yourself vaccinated, even if you have had a bout of pneumonia before. If you are not sure if you have had the shot or not, it is still safe to get one at the earliest. Children that are of two years of age or older and who suffer from heart diseases or diabetes or have a condition that lowers the immunity of the body also need to get themselves vaccinated. This is because the pneumonia vaccine is not a live vaccine, hence, it is safe to be taken even by people that are slightly immunocompromised. However, it is advisable to get the pneumonia shot after taking the opinion of a doctor first.

However, one needs to keep in mind that irrespective of how often you get a pneumonia vaccine, it does not prevent all types of pneumonia, but it is effective in protecting people from the more aggressive pneumococcal disease and its spectrum. It has been seen that the risk of getting pneumonia goes up significantly after the fifth decade of life. This is because the body's immunity slowly starts to falter at this age and the lungs are more susceptible of contracting lung diseases. This is the reason why it is recommended that the ideal age bracket for the pneumonia vaccine is anywhere around or just before the fifth decade of life.