{"id":5739,"date":"2019-04-22T15:38:05","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T15:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=5739"},"modified":"2021-06-04T02:38:20","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T02:38:20","slug":"14-things-to-know-before-getting-pneumonia-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-things-to-know-before-getting-pneumonia-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Things to Know Before Getting Pneumonia Vaccine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Thousands of Americans get sick with viruses every year. When the seasons start to change, people begin to get sick, and it\u2019s common to experience a bout of the flu or bronchitis during the switch from winter to spring or fall to winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most of us, getting sick isn\u2019t an issue. Dealing with flu means that we have to spend a few days in bed and take it easy. However, when we get back to the office, we\u2019re greeted by a stack of work that we need to catch up on \u2013 not the ideal way to spend your recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, it\u2019s possible to avoid getting sick this year. A pneumococcal vaccine prevents infection with the flu and other pneumococcal bacteria that lead to the development of bronchitis and pneumonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay healthy this season and get your vaccination. Here are eight things you need to know before you visit your doctor\u2019s office for your dose of the pneumococcal vaccine.
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1. Why Do You Need a Vaccine?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Streptococcus pneumoniae<\/a> bacteria infections are severe enough to cause life-threatening symptoms for an infected individual. In most cases, pneumococcal infection results in symptoms affecting the cardiovascular and respiratory system. While pneumonia infection can occur by itself, its more common for the disease to progress as a result of complications with other conditions \u2013 such as chronic bronchitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treating pneumonia is a challenge as some of the bacteria strains that cause the disease may be resistant to treatment with antibiotics. This fact makes it even more important to receive your vaccination to ensure you don\u2019t ever develop these types of infections in yourself or your family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccinating children against pneumococcal bacteria protects them against developing chronic diseases such as meningitis, blood and ear infections, pneumonia, and staph infection. The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is a worthwhile investment in your health considering the price of treatments for these diseases, as opposed to the minimal cost of the vaccine.
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2. Vaccinating Children<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The CDC and FDA approve the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine <\/a>for use in toddlers and infants. Kids under the age of 2-years old are most at risk of developing pneumococcal diseases. Fortunately, the vaccine is safe for use in infants \u2013 with no adverse side effects that damage their health in any manner whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many parents are afraid of vaccinating their children due to the horror stories floating around the internet that state children who receive vaccines are at risk of developing autism. These conspiracies have no basis in reality, and most of these urban legends come from a time when the vaccine was in its initial testing phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to take the advice of medical professionals \u2013 and not the opinions of people you see on YouTube videos. Science bases knowledge in fact and practice, while a conspiracy comes from the minds of individuals who should be receiving treatment for psychological issues \u2013 whom do you want to trust with the health of your children?
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3. Benefits of the Vaccine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vaccinating against pneumococcal disease keeps you safe against infection from a wide variety of pneumococcal-related diseases. With one treatment, you gain immunity <\/a>to the possibility of developing the flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, and staph infection. Should you receive any of these infections \u2013 can you imagine the inconvenience they can cause in your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only does it cost you money in doctors\u2019 fees, hospitalization, and medications \u2013 it cost you time as well. Any person can tell you that time is our most important asset, and losing days to recovering from a preventable virus costs you money and opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccinating your children is also a prudent strategy to keep them healthy. Treating infants for preventable diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia also cost a fortune. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with the additional expense of treating the disease, comes the potential for your young child to develop severe complications from the disorder. Any kid who experiences pneumonia at a young age may die from the bacterial infection, and if they survive, they may risk permanent damage to their respiratory system.
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4. Vaccines Aren\u2019t for Everybody<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people are not able to receive pneumococcal vaccination. These individuals may have existing medical conditions that make it a bad idea to get vaccinated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccines aren\u2019t for everyone, and a small segment of the population may be severely allergic <\/a>to the components of the vaccine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s for this reason that doctors make their patients wait in the office for 15-minutes after receiving the shot. Should the person develop any adverse symptoms of allergic reactions \u2013 the doctor is close to deal with the situation as it arises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have ever had an allergic reaction to any other vaccine, then the chances are that you\u2019ll develop the same response for the pneumococcal vaccine as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who\u2019s currently feeling ill should wait until they make a full recovery from their infection before attempting vaccination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with weakened immune systems should also avoid being vaccinated, as they run the risk of developing some form of pneumococcal infection from the vaccine.
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5. The Risks of Vaccination <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is approved for use in human patients, undergoing thousands of clinical trials to ensure that you\u2019re receiving a product that benefits your health. That said, there are a few risks to being vaccinated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should you have a weakened immune system<\/a> due to an autoimmune disease or recent infection with a virus or bacteria that drops immune function \u2013 then you may develop some form of pneumococcal disease after receiving your vaccination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you receive your vaccination, your doctor will take a complete medical history, and ask you if you have any allergies to any medications or foods. Vaccines may cause complications in people who have allergies to eggs, as it\u2019s part of the vaccine components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A severe allergic reaction to the vaccine may cause the rapid onset of anaphylaxis, a condition where the airways close, suffocating the affect6ed individual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some individuals may be overly sensitive to the vaccine and develop side effects from the shot.
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6. Side Effects from Vaccination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vaccination side effects only occur in less than 10-percent of individuals that receive the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine. As with any other form of medication, a small subset of the population is at risk of developing side effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, the side effects of the vaccine are minimal. The most common side effects experienced include swelling and redness <\/a>of the injection site that may also come with mild itching symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient may also develop mild symptoms of bacterial or viral infection, including a slight headache, joint ache, muscle ache, and low-=grade fever. Most of these side effects last 24-hours at most before they start to fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side effects occur because the vaccine introduces bacteria cells into your bloodstream in a  low concentration. This minor infection causes an immune response and your body releases antibodies and white blood cells to combat the bacteria. Once the side effects fade, your immune system is now able to fight off the bacterial infection.
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7. The Dangers of Delaying or Avoiding Vaccination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some parents may feel that their child or themselves are not at risk of developing a pneumococcal infection. As a result of this misinformation, they make the mistake of delaying or avoiding vaccination. Similarly, some adults believe that the last 50-years of medical science is wrong, and vaccines are the cause of disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach and attitude toward vaccines are careless and may result in serious harm to you and your children. Kids spend their formative years in preschool, learning to develop relationships with other kids and enhance their social skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, playschools are a hotbed of diseases. Conditions like pinkeye <\/a>and lice are a few examples of disease and parasites that almost exclusively come from preschool children. Kids are yet to develop their immune system until their adolescence fully. During the younger years, they are at high risk of infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccinating your children against pneumococcal bacteria ensures that your child remains happy and healthy at school \u2013 and they don\u2019t bring home any diseases.
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8. Vaccines Are Safe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spend enough time watching vaccination conspiracy videos on YouTube, and you may turn into an anti-vax person yourself. Unfortunately, human beings are gullible, and we tend to take in new information, without checking our sources. As a result, it\u2019s possible to develop the belief that vaccines are harmful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These individuals spreading misinformation often cite studies from the fifties and sixties where patients receiving the MMR vaccine, (measles, mumps, and rubella,) developed autism<\/a>. However, further investigations into the occurrence prove that the results are inconclusive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical science has made leaps and bounds in vaccine technology since the fifties, and taking in old information as a viable source as to the efficacy and safety of modern vaccines is ludicrous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never take someone\u2019s word, without speaking to a qualified medical practitioner first. Disputing hard science is a fool\u2019s errand, and may end up costing your family their health if you decide to remain unvaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Stamp Out Preventable Diseases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vaccines are a modern miracle of medical science. Without vaccines, we would still be dealing with terrible plagues such as smallpox <\/a>and polio. Vaccines ensure the safety of future generations, providing us with protection from pathogens that would otherwise cause preventable diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s for this reason that anti-vax campaigns don’t make any sense. Many of these people that feel that a vaccine may damage their children’s health might feel entirely different when their child comes down with German measles or smallpox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality is that vaccine injuries do occur. However, the injuries are only a tiny subset of children or adults exposed to pneumococcal vaccines. The vaccine rate injury rates a sudden negligible that it doesn’t make sense to avoid vaccines due to the risk associated with a vaccine injury. However, stamping out preventable diseases is a human responsibility and a priority. It ensures the success of our species and our advancement into the future.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Bacterial Vs. Viral Pneumonia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are two different types of pneumonia commonly seen in hospitals across the world. Bacterial pneumonia tends to be more persistent in the two types of the disease. However, viral pneumonia is much more aggressive and often results in respiratory failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the more recent diseases to cause viral pneumonia <\/a>is the current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. The disease seems to affect the elderly and immunocompromised, as well as individuals with existing comorbidities. People that have these contributing conditions seem to progress from flu symptoms into a full-blown pneumonia stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viral pneumonia from COVID-19 affects both lungs at once. As a result, the person develops a condition known as double pneumonia. Double pneumonia is almost always fatal in 70% to 80% of cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bacterial pneumonia can be much more persistent than viral pneumonia and might not cause a high fever. Instead, the patient may experience a low-grade fever and cough up dark brown phlegm.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. The Danger of Double Pneumonia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Seniors are at the highest risk of developing pneumonia from diseases such as influenza and COVID-19<\/a>. As we age, the immune system starts to slow down, and we are at a higher risk of contracting diseases. It’s for this reason that seniors tend to perish from diseases such as influenza. The body no longer has the immune-capacity to fight off disease, and they succumb to the effects of pneumonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infants have the same issue because they have yet to form a robust immune system. Both infants and seniors are at high risk of developing pneumonia from contributing diseases such as influenza or bacterial infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When pneumonia attacks the lungs, it typically picks one side for the infection. It’s rare to see pneumonia attacks both sides of the lungs at the same time. However, individuals experiencing the onset of the disease, COVID-19, often experience double pneumonia affecting both lungs. Double pneumonia may result in the patient drowning in their fluids, and they need assistance breathing through a ventilator.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Vaccines and COVID-19<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In December of 2019, a new novel coronavirus emerged in China. The city of Wuhan experienced the outbreak of COVID-19, causing a complete lockdown and shutdown of the entire city. The Chinese Communist Party was successful at curtailing the epidemic<\/a>. However, COVID-19 managed to escape containment in China and spread throughout the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a matter of months, the disease had already taken thousands of lives in Europe and America. Almost every single country on the entire planet experienced infections and outbreaks of the disease. With COVID-19 sweeping the world, many people are asking if it’s possible for medical science to create a vaccine like the pneumococcal vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, although COVID-19 produces a viral type of pneumonia in some patients, existing vaccines will not work for this coronavirus. According to experts in medicine, it may be up to 18 months before we see a successful vaccine appear for COVID-19. Until then, countries and governments must rely on NPIs, non-pharmaceutical interventions to manage the progression of disease in their societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Vaccines Protect Communities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Today, we live in much tighter communities then we did with the 1918 Spanish flu. Today megacities like Tokyo, New York, Paris, and Madrid, stack millions of people into tiny homes in close proximity to each other. Therefore, when outbreaks of a disease start, they tend to infect hundreds of thousands of people in a very short period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic <\/a>is a clear indication of how our living conditions have changed over the last 100 years. It’s also a clear indication that modern medicine and the invention of the vaccine is a critical component to our current living environment and conditions across the world. Without the assistance of vaccines, we have the potential exposure to a rapid infection of dangerous pathogens that can have life-threatening consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaccines protect communities across the world. Without vaccines, we would never be able to suppress nature and her relentless attack on our civilization. While COVID-19 is a concern, a new pathogen could arrive that has even deadlier results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. How Vaccines Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The way that vaccines work in the body is an exciting and interesting technology. As the disease enters the body, the pathogen <\/a>starts to reproduce in your cells. The immune system then recognizes the germs as invaders, responding by producing antibody proteins to fight off the pathogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first job of the antibody is to assist the immune system with fighting off the invading pathogens that make you feel sick. Still, they may not be able to act fast enough to prevent you from becoming ill. However, as the immune system eliminates the attacking germs, the antibodies assist with restoring you to full health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antibodies protect us from future infections, and they remain in our bloodstream for a specific period, from months to years after the date of the initial infection. Therefore, if the same pathogen enters the body when antibodies are present, the immune system has a better chance of destroying the pathogens before they make you sick. This response is known as immunity, and that is how vaccines work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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