Influenza and Pneumococcal Disease
Influenza (flu) and Pneumococcal Information
An annual flu vaccine is recommended for all residents over ages 50, pregnant women ages 18 and older, people who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, children ages six months and up to age 19; those who are 18 years of age and older with chronic heart or lung conditions, diabetes, or compromised immune systems; and caregivers (including healthcare workers) of high-risk patients.
Senior citizens should also receive pneumococcal vaccine, which generally needs to be given only one time, to protect themselves against the most common type of pneumonia.
Certain individuals should consult their private physician before getting any flu vaccinations. They include people who:
- are allergic to eggs
- have a history of serious allergic condition or reaction to flu vaccine in the past such as a fever or rash
- have had previous attacks of Guillan-Barré Syndrome, a neurological illness following viral infections or other chronic neurological illnesses
- are pregnant; generally, it is recommended that women in their second and third trimesters get a flu shot
- have an acute febrile illness
Pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common cause of pneumonia in adults. By receiving pneumococcal vaccine just one time, high risk individuals can usually protect themselves against illness and possibly death from this disease.
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