How many shots are in the pneumonia vaccine?

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on September 02, 2024
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Currently, there are two general types of vaccines for preventing pneumococcal pneumonia. One type is the 23-valent vaccine, suitable for high-risk populations over two years old. The other type includes the 7-valent or 13-valent vaccines, which are for preventing pneumococcal infections in infants under two years old. Infants under two usually follow a "three plus one" vaccination regimen, which involves three primary immunization doses with at least one month between each dose, followed by a booster shot. Additionally, adults over two years old or other high-risk groups are advised to take the 23-valent vaccine, which requires only a single dose. However, those who are frail or have poor immune responses may need a second booster dose five years after the initial vaccination.

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Written by Hu Xue Jun
Pulmonology
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What can you eat with pneumonia?

What can pneumonia patients eat? Pneumonia is usually an acute illness, often accompanied by symptoms such as excessive phlegm, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain, which demand strict dietary considerations. A good diet ensures that pneumonia patients get enough fluids and calories, which helps in the treatment of pneumonia. Patients can consume foods rich in quality protein, high calories, and vitamins, such as eggs, animal liver, cornmeal, buckwheat flour, and a moderate amount of fruits and vegetables. Foods like black fungus, seaweed, kelp, and mushrooms can also be included more frequently. It is important for patients to drink plenty of water. Pneumonia patients may experience fever and sweat a lot; drinking more water can help replenish fluids in a timely manner, prevent excessive loss of fluids, and more frequent urination helps in faster elimination of metabolic waste from the body, aiding in the recovery from the disease.

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Written by Yang Feng
Pulmonology
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How many days does the pneumonia vaccine take effect?

Pneumonia is a common infectious disease of the respiratory system. For the elderly who are frail, infants and young children who repeatedly suffer from pulmonary infections, and adults with immune deficiencies, it is an option to get vaccinated against pneumonia. Generally, antibodies are produced in the body 2 to 3 weeks after vaccination, which may protect against most types of pneumococcal bacteria. Different pneumonia vaccines vary in the duration the antibodies last in the body, with most lasting about one year. For bivalent and trivalent pneumonia vaccines, the immune protection can last about five years.

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Written by Hu Xue Jun
Pulmonology
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Can pneumonia be cured?

Can pneumonia be cured, and will there be any sequelae? Generally speaking, common pneumonia without complications can be completely cured. If pneumonia infection is detected, seek medical attention in a timely manner and treat it rationally under the guidance of a professional doctor, it generally will not leave sequelae or affect lung function. However, some complications of pneumonia, such as meningitis and pericarditis, may leave symptoms like headaches, dizziness, palpitations, and chest pain. Ordinary pneumonia might leave streaky shadows or irregular pleura on chest X-rays or lung CT scans, but these will not impact the human body. Patients who have previously been infected with tuberculosis may have calcification spots in their lungs, which is a normal phenomenon. Some people may experience sequelae after treatment, such as hearing loss caused by the use of antimicrobial drugs, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head occurring after SARS treatment; however, these are possibly side effects of the drugs, rather than sequelae of pneumonia.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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How many doses are there for the pneumonia vaccine?

Currently, there are two types of vaccines commonly used to prevent pneumococcal diseases. One type is the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, suitable for high-risk populations over two years old. The other type includes the 7-valent or 13-valent conjugate vaccines, used for vaccinating infants under two years old. The vaccination schedule for the 7-valent or 13-valent vaccines follows a "three plus one" program, which means three primary immunization doses with at least one month between each dose, followed by a booster dose. For the 23-valent vaccine, high-risk individuals over two years old generally require only a single dose; however, immunocompromised patients may need a booster shot, typically recommended five years after the initial vaccination.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Differential Diagnosis of Pediatric Pneumonia

Childhood pneumonia needs to be differentiated from other respiratory diseases such as bronchial foreign bodies, bronchial asthma, and pulmonary tuberculosis. A bronchial foreign body generally has a history of inhalation of foreign objects, sudden choking coughs, and a chest X-ray might indicate atelectasis or pulmonary emphysema. If the foreign body has been present for a long time, the disease course is prolonged and may lead to secondary infections, similar to pneumonia or concurrent with pneumonia. The differentiation of bronchial foreign body involves detailed medical history inquiries to check for inhaled foreign objects, then using symptoms and auxiliary examinations like chest X-rays for confirmation. Bronchial asthma, especially in children, might not always present with obvious wheezing attacks but rather persistent coughing. The X-ray might show increased and disordered lung markings and pulmonary emphysema, which can easily be confused with pneumonia. Typically, children with bronchial asthma have an allergic constitution and generally require pulmonary function tests and other auxiliary examinations to differentiate from pneumonia. Pulmonary tuberculosis generally occurs in those with a history of contact with tuberculosis patients. Their tuberculin skin test is positive, and X-rays may show features of tuberculosis lesions in the lungs, which can be used to differentiate from pneumonia.