ABOUT PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA

Pneumococcal pneumonia can
disrupt your daily routine for weeks.
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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.

Symptoms can be severe and may include:

  • Chest pain with
    difficulty breathing
  • A high fever,
    shaking chills
  • Excessive
    sweating
  • Fatigue
  • A cough with phlegm
    that may persist
    or get worse
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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.

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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.

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.”

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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.