Getting shots is no fun and you have had your flu shot, but should you get the pneumonia shot or pneumococcal vaccine as well?
Asthma is a risk factor for invasive pneumococcal disease -- what the pneumonia shot protects against. And while it is not as common as the flu, which you should protect yourself against annually with a flu shot, invasive pneumococcaal disease does have serious potential complications. So, yes, it makes sense to prevent the disease altogether by getting the pneumonia shot, if it's recommended for you.
Who Should Get the Pneumonia Shot: The CDC's New Recommendations
In January 2009, the Centers for Disease Control updated its recommendation for the pneumococcal vaccine. The recommendation states that you should receive the pneumococcal vaccine if you are:
- Over the age of 65
- Between the ages of 18 and 65 and have a chronic heart or lung condition, such as asthma
- Immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system
How Come I've Never Needed the Pneumonia Shot Before?
A 2008 Cochrane Review stated there was limited information to support vaccination of asthmatics with the pneumococcal vaccine based on available evidence from randomized controlled trials. However, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) subsequently voted in October 2008 to recommend the vaccination for all patients with asthma over the age of 18.
Why the sudden change? This new recommendation was partially based on new research reports indicating that asthmatics were at increased risk of pneumococcal infections.
A 2008 report cited an increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease among patients with asthma. Patients with asthma were more likely to develop the following problems compared to patients without asthma:
- Sepsis and bacteremia (significant infections in the blood stream)
- Meningitis (an infection of the tissue surrounding your brain)
- Pneumonia (a lung infection)
- Osteomyelitis (a bone infection)
Your Next Steps
These findings generally support the idea that asthma is a risk factor for invasive pneumococcal disease. While not as common as the flu, high blood pressure, or diabetes, invasive pneumococcaal disease has serious potential complications.
Discuss getting the vaccine with your healthcare provider.
Sources:
T.R. Talbot, T.V. Hartert, E. Mitchel, N.B. Halasa, P.G. Arbogast and K.A. Poehling et al. Asthma as a risk factor for invasive pneumococcal disease. NEJM 2005 352: 2082–2090.
T.V. Hartert. Are persons with asthma at increased risk of pneumococcal infections, and can we prevent them? J Allergy Clin Immunol 122 (2008) 724–725
Y.J. Juhn, H. Kita, B.P. Yawn, T.G. Boyce, K.H. Yoo and M.E. McGree et al. Increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease in patients with asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 122 (2008) 719–723.
