Bacterial Respiratory Infections Prevention of Exposure 1. Because Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae are common in the community, no effective way exists to reduce exposure to these bacteria. Prevention of Disease 2. However, there is no evidence that adverse clinical outcomes are associated with this transient increase.
Most experts believe that the benefit of pneumococcal vaccination outweighs the potential risk.
The duration of the protective effect of primary pneumococcal vaccination is unknown. The incidence of H. influenzae type B infection in adults is low. An absolute neutrophil count that is depressed because of HIV disease or drug therapy is associated with an increased risk for bacterial infections, including pneumonia. Prevention of Recurrence 7. However, providers should be cautious about using antibiotics solely for preventing the recurrence of serious bacterial respiratory infections because of the potential development of drug-resistant microorganisms and drug toxicity.