Pneumococcal Disease Prophylaxis

Pneumococcal Disease General Information

Pneumococcal Disease is the generic term used to denominate a severe bacterial disease that affects adults and children all over the world. The causing bacteria (pneumococcus) are common, and when infecting a patient they may attack one or several parts of the body. Lung infection results in the most common form of bacterial pneumonia. Infections of the bloodstream lead to the appearance of bacteremia. When the outer membranes of the brains are affected, the bacteria cause meningitis. This type of bacteria may also cause infections of the ear (otitis media) and sinusitis. There are over 90 types of pneumococci; from these, the 10 most common types are responsible for up to 62% of all invasive disease cases throughout the world.

In the United States, each year there are 175,000 cases of hospitalization following pneumococcal pneumonia which appears as a complication of measles and influenza. Around 5,000 cases of meningitis and over 50,000 cases of pneumococcal bacteremia are recorded each year; these two affections are responsible for most deaths in patients of over 60 years of age that present underlying medical conditions. Current estimations are that Pneumococcal Disease is responsible for over 6,000 deaths each year, of which more than half could have been avoided through proper vaccination against the bacteria.

Pneumococcal Disease Prophylaxis

The main means employed as part of Pneumococcal Disease Prophylaxis is the pneumococcal vaccine. There are two vaccines that are currently employed in the prevention of such diseases, a polysaccharide vaccine and a conjugate vaccine. Typically, the polysaccharide vaccine is used for the immunization of adult patients, while the conjugate vaccine is employed for protecting children from pneumococcal infections. Despite the existence of the vaccines, a study performed in the year 2000 revealed that only 53% of the elder population (of 60 years of age or older) had ever received the pneumococcal vaccine in the United States.

As part of the Pneumococcal Disease Prophylaxis, every individual over 2 years of age should receive the vaccine, especially if he or she is suffering from chronic affections such as lung diseases (except asthma), kidney, liver or heart diseases, diabetes or alcoholism. Patients with compromised immune systems should also be vaccinated, regardless of whether the immunodeficiency is caused by a medical condition such as AIDS or cancer or if it is due to prolonged medication therapy. Patients suffering from sickle cell disease and those with an impaired or removed spleen should also be immunized as soon as possible, and also residents and personnel of long term care facilities and of chronic care facilities.

The polysaccharide vaccine is not recommended in the case of young children and infants as their organism does not respond well to such vaccines. Children of less than two years of age have a very high risk of developing pneumococcal infections, and because of this, they should be immunized with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which is safe to use in individuals older than 2 months. The Pneumococcal Disease Prophylaxis through vaccination can be performed at any time of the year, and is commonly coupled with the influenza vaccine. For the immunization of infants, this vaccine has been incorporated in the standard immunization programs in most developed countries.

In most cases, one dose of the vaccine is sufficient to obtain lifetime protection against the disease. However in patients that are susceptible to developing infections (especially in patients with a weakened immune system) revaccination may be required. Also, children under 11 months of age should receive the vaccine 3 or 4 times in order to achieve immunization against the bacteria. Pneumococcal Disease Prophylaxis through vaccination should not be employed in patients that may suffer from an allergic reaction to the vaccine or to any of its components. Also, patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy should not be vaccinated. Children affected by mild to severe infections should also not be immediately vaccinated; instead, immunization should be performed as soon as the infection subsides and the child has recovered.

Pneumococcal Disease Treatment

Treatment of a Pneumococcal Disease treatment typically relies on antibiotic drugs, the most commonly employed medication being Penicillin. However, recent studies show that several of the bacterial strains are developing drug resistances, which leads to an increased difficulty in treating the infections, prolonged disease times and slower recovery rates. Alternative drug therapies are available; however they have lower effectiveness and / or higher costs. In some cases, this makes the alternative therapies inaccessible or inefficient.

The emergence of drug resistant bacteria puts more emphasis on the prevention of any Pneumococcal Disease. As treatment becomes more and more difficult, the importance of population immunization against all the bacteria strains through vaccination becomes greater. Individuals that are more prone to be affected by such bacterial infections in particular (for example those with a weakened immune system due to medication therapy or due to certain medical conditions, as well as elderly patients with ages of over 60 years) should be vaccinated as soon as possible. Special attention should also be paid to the immunization of infants and children, in order to protect the future generations from treatment-resistant bacterial infections.

For more information regarding pneumococcal infections and the associated diseases, it is advised to consult a professional health care provider.