This combination vaccine is not given to individuals over age seven. Pneumococcal pneumonia begins with high fever, cough, and stabbing chest pains. Pneumococcal disease is one of the most common causes of death in America from a vaccine-preventable disease. Pneumococcus is in many people's noses and throats. Why it suddenly invades the body and causes disease is unknown.
Young children are much more likely than older children and adults to get pneumococcal disease.
As with adults, the bacteria is spread through droplets from the nose or mouth of an infected person. Vaccine for Pneumococcal Disease Pneumococcal vaccine is very good at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death. However it is not guaranteed to prevent all symptoms in all people. There are two different pneumococcal vaccines, one, pneumococcal polysaccharide, is generally used for people over 65 and a new one, pneumococcal conjugate, which will be used for young children. Pneumococcal Polysaccharide vaccine contains antigens from 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria.