ABOUT PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA

Pneumococcal pneumonia can
disrupt your daily routine for weeks.
Banner Image: 
Patient lying in a hospital bed watching people gathered at a graduation outside
Mobile Banner Image: 
Patient lying in a hospital bed watching people gathered at a graduation outside

In severe cases, pneumococcal pneumonia can put you in the hospital.

Pneumococcal pneumonia is not a cold or the flu. It’s a potentially serious lung disease that is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common bacteria that can be spread from person to person through a cough or close contact. These bacteria can cause part of the lung to become inflamed and fill up with mucus, making it harder to breathe.

 
 

Pneumococcal pneumonia can catch you off guard.

Many people think of pneumonia as an illness that only the elderly or sick people get in the
hospital. That’s not always true. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a bacterial lung disease you
can catch anywhere, anytime.

Pneumococcal pneumonia symptoms may hit quickly, without warning, and can be severe.
For some people, certain symptoms like cough and fatigue can last for weeks or
longer—even after treatment with antibiotics.

Down arrow icon

Symptoms can be severe and may include:

  • Lungs icon Lungs icon
    Chest pain with
    difficulty breathing
  • Thermometer icon Thermometer icon
    A high fever,
    shaking chills
  • Sweat drops icon Sweat drops icon
    Excessive
    sweating
  • Pillow iconPillow icon
    Fatigue
  • Person coughing iconPerson coughing icon
    A cough with phlegm
    that may persist
    or get worse
Down arrow icon
Patient in discussion with receptionist at a doctor's office

Your risk may surprise you.

Adults 65 or older are over 10X more likely to end up in the hospital with pneumococcal pneumonia than adults younger than 50.

divider

It’s a fact. Even if you’re healthy, as you get older, your immune system can’t respond as effectively to infection. That's because over time, your immune system weakens. It can be more difficult for your body to defend you against pneumococcal disease.

Other factors, like lifestyle and certain chronic health conditions like COPD, asthma, heart disease, and diabetes, could increase the risk for catching pneumococcal pneumonia even more.

Down arrow icon

Hear from someone who had the disease.

 
 

“It wasn’t until I had been in the hospital a number of days that I realized how serious pneumococcal pneumonia could be.”

Body class: 
ABOUT PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA

You are now leaving adult.prevnar13.com

Links to other websites are provided as a convenience to the viewer. Pfizer accepts no responsibility for the content of linked sites.

The information provided in this website is intended only for healthcare professionals in the United States. The products discussed may have different product labeling in different countries.

Continue

Information about the side effects of the PREVNAR 13® vaccine.

Because PREVNAR 13® is given by injection, some of the most common side effects reported in clinical trials were injection-site reactions: redness, swelling, pain at the injection site, and limitation of arm movement.

Other side effects include:

  • fatigue
  • muscle pain
  • joint pain
  • chills
  • headache
  • vomiting
  • decreased appetite
  • rash
  • fever

PREVNAR 13® should not be given to anyone with a severe allergic reaction to any component of PREVNAR 13® or any diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine. Adults with weakened immune systems (eg HIV infection, leukemia) may have a reduced immune response.

Patients should always ask their doctors for medical advice about adverse events. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Visit http://www.vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-79671-800-822-7967.

Information about the side effects of the PREVNAR 13® vaccine.

Because PREVNAR 13® is given by injection, some of the most common side effects reported in clinical trials were injection-site reactions: redness, swelling, pain at the injection site, and limitation of arm movement.

Other side effects include:

  • fatigue
  • muscle pain
  • joint pain
  • chills
  • headache
  • vomiting
  • decreased appetite
  • rash
  • fever

PREVNAR 13® should not be given to anyone with a severe allergic reaction to any component of PREVNAR 13® or any diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine. Adults with weakened immune systems (eg HIV infection, leukemia) may have a reduced immune response.

Patients should always ask their doctors for medical advice about adverse events. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Visit http://www.vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-79671-800-822-7967.