Most older adults know that they need a shot to protect themselves from flu, but they may not know that they should be vaccinated against bacterial pneumonia as well. A simple shot could save your life.
Pneumonia is an infection that can be caused by bacteria or by a virus.
Most cases of bacterial pneumonia, the most serious type, can be prevented with a vaccination. The same bacteria can also invade the bloodstream, causing a life threatening infection called bacteremia, or the brain, causing meningitis. About half of those deaths could have been prevented through vaccinations, which protect against 23 different types of bacteria. Elderly people or those with serious medical conditions are most at risk for pneumonia, which is spread by airborne or direct exposure to respiratory droplets from a person who is infected or carrying the bacteria. Pneumonia symptoms include high fever, severe coughing, shaking chills, shortness of breath, and chest pain.