CDC Issues Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations

indigo girl · Jun 10, 2009

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2009/06/cdc-issues-pneumococcal-vaccine.html

If you fall into one of the risk groups, you might want to consider this vaccine even if you never thought that you would need it until you were older. The CDC as of yesterday is recommending it in light of what they are seeing with the ongoing H1N1 cases.

Check out their table of who is recommended to get this vaccine. See any surprises there? I was surprised to see smokers added to the list although this makes perfect sense to me.

Objective

To provide interim guidance on which groups should be vaccinated with the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) to prevent pneumococcal infections during the outbreak of novel influenza A(H1N1).

Background

Influenza predisposes individuals to bacterial community-acquired pneumonia. During the 20th century influenza pandemics, secondary bacterial pneumonia was an important cause of illness and death and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) was reported as the most common etiology. Severe pneumococcal pneumonia associated with inter-pandemic influenza also has been reported, and S. pneumoniae remains a leading cause of vaccine-preventable illness and death in the United States.

Table. U.S. ACIP recommendations for use of pneumococcal polysaccacharide vaccine.

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23)

Universal vaccination

All adults 65 years of age and older

Medical Indications

Persons 2 through 64 years of age who have one or more of the following long-term health problems:

chronic cardiovascular disease (congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathies)

chronic pulmonary disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema

diabetes mellitus

alcoholism

chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis

cerebrospinal fluid leaks

functional or anatomic asplenia including sickle cell disease and splenectomy

immunocompromising conditions including HIV infection, leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, generalized malignancy, chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome; those receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy (including corticosteroids); and those who have received an organ or bone marrow transplant

Adults 19 through 64 years of age who:

smoke cigarettes

have asthma