There are many different kinds of pneumonia, and having one kind does not protect against the others. The vaccine, however, does protect against 88 percent of the pneumococcal bacteria that cause pneumonia. It does not guarantee that you will never get pneumonia. It does not protect against viral pneumonia. Most people need to get the shot only once.
Some people have mild side effects from the shot.
The most common side effect is a sore arm for a day or two. The pneumonia shot cannot cause pneumonia because it is not made from the bacteria itself, but from a bacterial component that is not infectious. In fact, people can get the pneumonia vaccine and a flu shot at the same time. While the best time to get the flu shot is in the fall, the pneumonia vaccine can be given anytime. According to the NCQA, the introduction of new measures has historically led to improvements in the related areas.