This vaccine protects against most but not all of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease. It is actually better at preventing death or severe complications from pneumococcal infections than it is at preventing the infection itself.
Pneumococcal disease is a constant threat.
The risk of getting pneumococcal disease increases after age 40, doubling after age 60. A common form of pneumococcal disease is pneumococcal pneumonia, a lung infection. Pneumococcal pneumonia affects nearly 500,000 Americans each year, the majority of whom are age 65 and older. Of those who get pneumococcal pneumonia, almost 46,000 die from it each year. In many cases, pneumococcal pneumonia can be prevented by having the vaccination.