many swine flu deaths linked to bacterial pneumonia - thoughts on pneumococcal vaccine?

[pofacedandproud]

here

In light of this, should high risk groups like asthmatics get the pneumococcal vaccine? What about children? They get Prevnar under two but should they have a booster with the current SF pandemic? Thoughts from clever people please...

that is interesting Musukebba, so your take on it is that PPV does not prevent pneumonia in adults? Thanks for responding to the study.

Yes, essentially there's no evidence that PPV prevents pneumococcal pneumonia in the over-65s. I'll ask my microbiology colleagues though; just to be sure!

Very good question and nice thread, BTW

I had the vaccine in 2006. I developed bacterial pneumonia shortly after. I now have chronic asthma in winter. I always put the astham down to the pneumonia and moving to the UK. I never thought about linking the vaccine with it? Interesting.

Sorry to hear that Lou. The UK does seem awful for asthmatics.

Thanks Musukebba So is there evidence that PPV prevents pneumonia in under 65s then? That study didn't seem to think so.

It does seem as if asthmatics are very high risk for complications of SF My surgery doesn't even have the vaccine yet.