Pneumococcal Vaccination
Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by a type of bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. When these bacteria invade the lungs they cause the most common kind of bacterial pneumonia and can then invade the bloodstream and/or the tissues and fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord causing meningitis. Another common complication is infection of the middle ear.
If you aged 75 or over you can now have the pneumococcal vaccination to protect against the most serious forms of pneumococcal infection. You won't need it each year and for most it's a one-off vaccination.
We will write to invite all patients 75 and over to attend for a vaccination. If would like more information, please contact the surgery.
You can also have this vaccination if:
You can also have this vaccination if:
- you don’t have a spleen, or if your spleen doesn’t work properly
- your immune system doesn’t work properly (due to HIV, chemotherapy etc)
- you have chronic disease of the heart, lungs, liver or kidneys
- you have diabetes
