How many days does the pneumonia vaccine take effect?

Written by Yang Feng

Pulmonology

Updated on October 31, 2024

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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 Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

57sec

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What department should I go to for pneumonia?

Pneumonia, as the name suggests, is inflammation of the lungs and belongs to the category of respiratory diseases. Therefore, the primary department to consult is Respiratory Medicine. In places where there is no Respiratory Medicine department, such as community health service centers or township health clinics, patients would have to consult the general internal medicine department instead. Of course, if the symptoms of pneumonia are severe and the condition is critical, and it happens outside of regular outpatient hours, then the patient must be seen by the emergency medicine department. The emergency medicine department will manage and triage pneumonia patients, and then decide their next steps, such as whether to transfer them to the ICU, a regular Respiratory Medicine department, or keep them for observation in the emergency department.

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Written by Li Jian Wu

Pulmonology

48sec

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How long does the pneumonia vaccine last?

After receiving the pneumonia vaccine, the body generates an immune response that produces antibodies. Typically, these antibodies provide lifelong immunity. Patients with weak constitutions might need a booster shot every 3-5 years after vaccination, which generally can also lead to lifelong immunity. Vaccinations should be administered at local, formal medical institutions. One can visit the local centers for disease control and prevention to get vaccinated. During the vaccination period, if there are any adverse reactions, they should be addressed promptly. After receiving the vaccine, it is advisable to remain at the medical facility for half an hour for observation before leaving, to prevent the occurrence of adverse reactions.

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Written by Hu Xue Jun

Pulmonology

1min 6sec

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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

1min 38sec

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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.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

48sec

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Can pneumonia heal by itself?

Pneumonia is generally not self-healing; only a few pneumonia cases caused by specific pathogens, which lead to milder infections, can heal by themselves, such as pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is self-limiting and can heal. However, most cases of pneumonia require standard treatment, such as pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, if diagnosed with pneumonia, it is essential to seek immediate medical attention at a hospital. Relying on self-healing is unrealistic since self-healing cases are rare, and most pneumonia cases require standard treatment to recover.