Pneumococcal Vaccine
What is pneumococcal disease?
Pneumococcal (new-mow-ka-kl) disease happens when a person gets an infection caused by pneumococcus or Streptococcus pneumoniae, which are bacteria. You can get them when you come into direct contact with an infected person's saliva or mucus. After contact, it can cause the following types of infections:
- Pneumococcal Pneumonia (a serious lung infection)
- Pneumococcal Meningitis (a serious infection of the brain and spinal cord)
- Pneumococcal Bacteremia (a serious infection of the bloodstream)
- Ear Infection
- Sinus Infection
Serious infections can cause life-threatening complications. For reference, pneumococcal pneumonia kills 1 in 20 infected people, pneumococcal meningitis kills 1 in 6 infected adults, and pneumococcal bacteremia kills 1 in 8 adults. Luckily, pneumococcal disease and serious pneumococcal infections are entirely preventable because we can protect against them with safe and effective vaccines!
How does the pneumococcal vaccine protect Southwest Florida?
Unfortunately, Children under 5 and adults who are 65 and older experience higher rates of pneumococcal disease. Concerning age, these are our most vulnerable populations here in Southwest Florida.
How up-to-date is this information?
The information on this page was last verified in August of 2024.
Ready to Schedule a Pneumococcal Vaccine
Schedule VaccinationProtect yourself from preventable diseases!