The Minster Practice, Lichfield
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Pneumococcal pneumoniaThe bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae is very often innocuous lurking in the mouths and noses of healthy carriers. But for unknown reasons , it can suddenly become dangerous and cause acute pneumonia, septicaemia or even meningitis (second biggest cause of meningitis in UK). It is the commonest cause of community acquired pneumonia affecting 1 in every 1000 adults each year with a mortality rate of 10-20% killing between 4,500 and 9,000 in the UK every year. 75% of these deaths and also 50,000 cases of pneumococcal pneumonia can be prevented by a vaccine available free from your practice. We have offered this vaccination for several years so are not bound by the age restrictions mentioned in the next paragraph. Those with chest or heart disease, diabetes, lung, liver or kidney disease, the elderly, coeliac disease, sickle cell anaemia, those with reduced immunity or taking immunosuppressants, and those whose spleen has been removed should be vaccinated. Government policy is for the elderly to be protected starting with the over 80s in 2003 and extending down to 65 over 3 years. Adding the vaccine to the children's schedule has been delayed because of doubts about its cost-effectiveness. A single injection seems to last a lifetime except those without a
spleen or with nephrotic syndrome who seem to need the injection repeated every
5 to 10 years. The injection is not suitable for children under 2 (a different vaccine requiring 3 doses would be introduced for young children if added to the children's schedule).
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