The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lowered the recommended age for adults to get vaccinated against certain bacteria that cause pneumonia and other illnesses from 65 to 50.
The shot protects against a group of infections known as pneumococcal disease, including common pneumonia. Sinus, ear, and blood infections. All meningitis is caused by pneumococci.
Dr. Benjamin Singer, a respiratory and critical care specialist at Northwestern Medicine’s Canning Thoracic Institute, said these infections are more common in older people and tend to be more severe. The number of infections has also increased in recent years since coronavirus lockdowns slowed the spread of the disease, including among people aged 50 to 64.
“I’ve been wanting this for a while,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said of the change.
The CDC released new guidelines on Wednesday. The agency also recommends vaccination for children under 5 and people who are at higher risk due to conditions such as diabetes. Chronic heart, liver, and kidney disease. or other underlying problems that weaken the immune system.
According to the CDC, only about 24% of adults had received a pneumococcal vaccine in 2022. Doctors have long observed clear racial disparities in who is hit hardest by pneumococcal infections. Black adults have disproportionately high rates of illnesses such as pneumonia. Lowering the recommended age could encourage more people to get vaccinated.
“The idea is that if we can vaccinate more people fairly and equitably, we can close the disparity in morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Geeta Sood, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Ta.
The guidelines are particularly welcome news for doctors fearing a winter virus season. Having other viral infections, such as influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (commonly known as RSV), can make you more susceptible to pneumococcal disease. And patients are often stunned to learn how serious pneumonia cases can be, Dr. Sood said.
“People get sick from it more than you think,” she says. “Even healthy-looking adults I know who get pneumococcal pneumonia will feel different and sick for weeks on end. It’s not a blank illness.”
If you’re not sure if you’ve been vaccinated, talk to your doctor, Dr. Sood suggested. (The Times also has tips for checking your vaccination record.) People who receive these vaccines may experience symptoms such as fatigue, fever, chills, head and muscle pain, and tenderness around the injection site. reports of mild side effects. Most adults are protected for life with just one dose of pneumococcal vaccine.
“We live in very fortunate times where we have really effective vaccines to prevent very serious diseases,” Dr. Sood said.
