How Effective Is The Coronavirus Vaccine Is Protection Instant
All approved coronavirus vaccines are very effective. But protection from any vaccine takes time to build up and, in general, the older you are the longer it takes. Its thought that it will take at least 2 weeks in younger people and at least 3 weeks in older people before you can expect a good antibody response.
A recent study has shown that fully vaccinated people are three times less likely to be infected with coronavirus. The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will give you some protection from the virus. But you need to have 2 doses of the vaccine to give you the best protection. Therefore, its really important you continue to protect yourself and others from catching or spreading the virus.
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Babies And The Pneumococcal Vaccine
Babies are routinely vaccinated with a type of pneumococcal vaccine known as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine as part of their childhood vaccination programme.
Babies born on or after 1 January 2020 have 2 injections, which are usually given at:
- 12 weeks old
- 1 year old
Babies born before this date will continue to be offered 3 doses, at 8 and 16 weeks and a booster at 1 year.
What Is The Pneumonia Vaccine Exactly
The pneumonia vaccine helps prevent pneumococcal disease, which is any kind of illness caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. That includes pneumonia and meningitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . There are actually two types of pneumococcal vaccines in the US:
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, known as PCV13
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, known as PPSV23
PCV13 protects against 13 types of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease, the CDC says, and specifically works against the most serious types of pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia. PPSV23 protects against 23 types of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease and helps prevent infections like meningitis and bacteremia.
The pneumococcal vaccines can be lifesaving. Pneumococcal pneumonia kills about one in 20 older adults who get it, according to the CDC. The vaccines offer a lot of protection. PCV13 can protect three in four adults ages 65 and up against invasive pneumococcal disease and nine in 20 adults ages 65 and older against pneumococcal pneumonia, per CDC data. One shot of PPSV23 protects up to 17 in 20 healthy adults against invasive pneumococcal disease.
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Managing Fever After Immunisation
Common side effects following immunisation are usually mild and temporary . Specific treatment is not usually required.
There are a number of treatment options that can reduce the side effects of the vaccine including:
- giving extra fluids to drink and not overdressing if there is a fever
- although routine use of paracetamol after vaccination is not recommended, if fever is present, paracetamol can be given check the label for the correct dose or speak with your pharmacist, .
How Often Should I Get Pneumonia Vaccine
If you are over 65 but are overall healthy, you should get a one-time vaccination with the pneumonia shot. You do not require a booster shot in this case, but some doctors recommend getting a second shot 5-10 years after the first one. In case you smoke, have chronic lung disease, or have impaired immunity, you should get your first pneumonia shot whenever you want. The same holds true for anyone who has a dysfunctional spleen.
The frequency of pneumonia vaccine depends on your age and overall health. However, it is usually enough to get the pneumonia shot once or twice during adulthood to protect yourself from pneumococcal disease. It is different from flu shots that you need to get every year. The reason is pneumonia virus does not change constantly as in the case of the influenza virus. Because the influenza virus mutates constantly, the vaccine that may have worked last year may no longer be effective in the next year.
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Medical Conditions Resulting In High Risk Of Ipd
Table 1: Medical Conditions Resulting in High risk of IPD
Non-immunocompromising conditions
IPD is more common in the winter and spring in temperate climates.
Spectrum of clinical illness
Although asymptomatic upper respiratory tract colonization is common, infection with S. pneumoniae may result in severe disease. IPD is a severe form of infection that occurs when S. pneumoniae invades normally sterile sites, such as the bloodstream or central nervous system. Bacteremia and meningitis are the most common manifestations of IPD in children 2 years of age and younger. Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common presentation among adults and is a common complication following influenza. The case fatality rate of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia is 5% to 7% and is higher among elderly persons. Bacterial spread within the respiratory tract may result in AOM, sinusitis or recurrent bronchitis.
Disease distribution
Worldwide, pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 500,000 deaths among children aged less than 5 years are attributable to pneumococcal disease each year. In Canada, IPD is most common among the very young and adults over 65 years of age.
Who Needs One Or Two Pneumonia Vaccines
There are two pneumococcal vaccines, each working in a different way to maximize protection. PPSV23 protects against 23 strains of pneumococcal bacteria. Those 23 strains are about 90- to 95-plus percent of the strains that cause pneumonia in humans, Poland explains. PCV13, on the other hand, is a conjugate vaccine that protects against 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria. PCV13 induces immunologic memory, he says. Your body will remember that it has encountered an antigen 20 years from now and develop antibodies to fight it off.
In order to get the best protection against all strains of bacteria that cause pneumonia, the CDC has long recommended that everyone 65 or older receive both vaccines: PCV13 , followed by the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at a later visit. But the agency is now saying that PCV13 may not be necessary for healthy people 65 and older, suggesting that the decision be left up to patients and their physicians as to whether that extra skin prick is appropriate.
“Anyone who reaches the age of 65 and is in any way immunocompromised or has any of the listed indications for pneumococcal vaccine because they’re in a high-risk group for example, if they have diabetes, heart disease or lung disease, or are a smoker should continue to get both vaccines, says Schaffner.
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How Often Should My Children Get Pneumonia Vaccine
The age of your child plays a big role in determining the frequency of getting pneumonia vaccine. How often should your child have the vaccine at different ages?
Children Younger than 2 Years Old
Your infants will get PCV13 vaccine as a series of four doses. The first dose will be given at 2 months, second at 4 months, third at 6 months, and the last one between 12 months and 15 months. Your children should get the vaccine even if they miss their shots in the beginning.
Children from 2 to 5 Years Old
Children between 24 months and 4 years old with incomplete PCV13 series should get one dose of it. Those who are in the same age group but has some medical conditions should get a couple of doses of PCV13 in case they have not completed the full course of vaccine. This is usually the case for children with medical conditions, such as cerebrospinal fluid leaks, cochlear implants, sickle cell disease, chronic heart or lung disease, and HIV/AIDS. Children who are on medications that weaken the immune system should get a dose under a physician’s supervision.
Children from 6 to 8 Years Old
Children between 6 and 8 years old should get a single dose of PCV13, especially if they have certain medical conditions, such as HIV-infection, sickle cell disease, and other conditions leading to compromised immunity. These children should receive PCV13 even if they have received doses of PCV7 or PPSV23 in the past. Talk to your healthcare provider for more details.
Common And Local Adverse Events
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Studies of Pneu-C-13 vaccine indicated that irritability decreased appetite increased or decreased sleep and pain, swelling and redness at the injection site after the toddler dose and in older children, are common side effects. Low grade fever occurred in 20% to 30% or more of vaccine recipients. In adults over 50 years of age, the most commonly reported side effects included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache and new onset of myalgia, with fever above 38°C occurring in approximately 3% of vaccine recipients.
Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
Reactions to Pneu-P-23 vaccine are usually mild. Soreness, redness and swelling at the injection site occur in 30% to 60% of vaccine recipients and more commonly follow SC administration than IM administration. Occasionally, low grade fever may occur. Re-immunization of healthy adults less than 2 years after the initial dose is associated with increased injection site and systemic reactions. Studies have suggested that re-vaccination after an interval of at least 4 years is not associated with an increased incidence of adverse side effects. However, severe injection site reactions, including reports of injection site cellulitis and peripheral edema in the injected extremity, have been documented rarely with Pneu-P-23 vaccine in post-marketing surveillance, even with the first dose. Multiple re-vaccinations are not recommended refer to Booster doses and re-immunization.
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Who Should Not Get These Vaccines
Because of age or health conditions, some people should not get certain vaccines or should wait before getting them. Read the guidelines below specific to pneumococcal vaccines and ask your or your childs doctor for more information.
Children younger than 2 years old should not get PPSV23. In addition, tell the person who is giving you or your child a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine if:
You or your child have had a life-threatening allergic reaction or have a severe allergy.
- Anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any of the following should not get PCV13:
- A shot of this vaccine
- An earlier pneumococcal conjugate vaccine called PCV7
- Any vaccine containing diphtheria toxoid
You or your child are not feeling well.
- People who have a mild illness, such as a cold, can probably get vaccinated. People who have a more serious illness should probably wait until they recover. Your or your childs doctor can advise you.
Side Effects Of The Pneumococcal Vaccine
Like most vaccines, the childhood and adult versions of the pneumococcal vaccine can sometimes cause mild side effects.
These include:
- redness where the injection was given
- hardness or swelling where the injection was given
There are no serious side effects listed for either the childhood or adult versions of the vaccine, apart from an extremely rare risk of a severe allergic reaction .
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What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Pcv And Ppsv Vaccines
Kids may have redness, tenderness, or swelling where the shot was given. A child also might have a fever after getting the shot. There is a very small chance of an allergic reaction with any vaccine.
The pneumococcal vaccines contain only a small piece of the germ and so cannot cause pneumococcal disease.
Summary Of Information Contained In This Naci Statement
The following highlights key information for immunization providers. Please refer to the remainder of the Statement for details.
1. What
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a bacterium that can cause many types of diseases including invasive pneumococcal disease , and community-acquired pneumonia .
For the prevention of diseases caused by S. pneumoniae in adults, two types of vaccines are available in Canada: pneumococcal 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine containing 23 pneumococcal serotypes and pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine containing 13 pneumococcal serotypes.
NACI has been tasked with providing a recommendation from a public health perspective on the use of pneumococcal vaccines in adults who are 65 years of age and older, following the implementation of routine childhood pneumococcal vaccine programs in Canada.
2. Who
Information in this statement is intended for provinces and territories making decisions for publicly funded, routine, immunization programs for adults who are 65 years of age and older without risk factors increasing their risk of IPD. These recommendations supplement the recent NACI recommendations on this topic that were issued for individual-level decision making in 2016.
3. How
4. Why
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Persons New To Canada
Health care providers who see persons newly arrived in Canada should review the immunization status and update immunization for these individuals, as necessary. Review of pneumococcal vaccination status is particularly important for persons from areas of the world where sickle cell disease is present, as persons with sickle cell disease are at risk of serious pneumococcal infections. In many countries outside of Canada, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is in limited use. Refer to Immunization of Persons New to Canada in Part 3 for additional information about vaccination of people who are new to Canada.
What Should People With Asthma Discuss With Their Healthcare Teams About The Covid
Ask in advance what you should do if your asthma flares up or if youre receiving immunotherapy shots or biologic infusions, Stukus says. Your healthcare providers can help determine whats right for you. Each individual should discuss these specific scenarios with their own allergist, if it pertains to them, he says.
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Treatment For Pneumonia Depends On Its Cause
Treatment can range from rest and antibiotics to time in the hospital if you need oxygen to help you breathe. Your health care provider will determine the best course of action based on your age, overall health, and the type and severity of pneumonia.
No matter the treatment, it may be a few weeks before you feel back to normal.
Be patient with your recovery and take it easy returning to regular activities, Dr. Neutze says. Pneumonia can be a hard hit on the body, particularly if you end up getting hospitalized.
If you think you might have pneumonia or want to get a pneumonia vaccine, talk to your doctor. If you need a doctor, find one near you.
Are There Any Special Situations I Should Be Aware Of
Tetanus shots are for more than routine prevention. They can also help prevent infection when you get cut.
If your wound is minor and clean , youd only need a booster if its been more than 10 years since your last one. Either a Tdap or Td shot can be used.
For some injuries, such as puncture wounds or animal attacks, you may need a tetanus shot sooner. In these situations, a Tdap or Td vaccine is recommended if its been more than 5 years since your last booster.
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Lets Review Which Ones Are Recommended And When
The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine , is also sometimes referred to by the brand name Prevnar. As its name suggests, it protects against 13 different subtypes of pneumooccal bacteria. The PCV13 is recommended for all babies and children younger than 2 years old and is a part of the standard childhood vaccine schedule. Additionally, it is recommended for:
Anyone ages 2 through 64 years old with certain immunocompromising conditions. These conditions include functional or anatomic asplenia, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, or having cochlear implants. All adults 65 years or older, regardless of health status.
The second pneumonia vaccine available is the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine . This is also referred to by the brand name brand name Pneumovax. It protects against 23 subtypes of pneumococcal bacteria. This vaccine is recommended for:
All adults 65 years of age and older. Anyone ages 2 through 64 years of age with certain long-term health problems . Adults 19 through 64 years of age who smoke cigarettes.
What Else Do I Need To Know Before Booking An Appointment
Only one vaccination is needed for long-lasting protection against pneumococcal pneumonia.
The vaccination can be given at any time of the year and can be given at the same time as other vaccinations, such as the flu jab. Our pharmacist will vaccinate into your upper arm so its best to wear a short-sleeved top to your appointment.
This service isnt suitable for anyone whos:
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Currently having chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- Had an allergic reaction to any injections or vaccinations in the past
- Had a pneumonia vaccination in the last 12 months
This isnt a complete list and suitability will be checked before the vaccination is administered.
If you have a high temperature on the day of your appointment or you have any symptoms of COVID-19, your appointment will need to be rearranged.
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Does Having The Vaccine Stop Me From Giving The Virus To Other People
Data has now shown that being vaccinated prevents you from passing on the virus to others, if you were to catch COVID-19 after having the vaccine. Its thought that having one dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine cuts transmission rates by as much as half.
While this is encouraging news, its important that even after being vaccinated you continue to do what you can to prevent yourself from getting the virus. This includes following the social distancing guidance for where you live, wearing a face covering and continuing to regularly wash your hands.
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