The City of Columbia is committed to providing public health services that prevent epidemics and the spread of disease, protect against environmental hazards, promote healthy behaviors, prevent injuries and illness, assure the quality and accessibility of health services, monitor the health of the population, provide social services and promote and protect civil rights.
v
The Pneumococcal Vaccine
What is Pneumococcal Pneumonia?
With this illness, there is an abrupt onset of symptoms which could include a high fever, cough, and shortness of breath. There can also be coinciding illnesses: bacteremia and meningitis. The symptoms of bacteremia include a fever and feeling poor while the symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, thinking slowly or not clearly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), complications from pneumococcal pneumonia can include death and this illness is one of the most common causes of death in America from a "vaccine-preventable disease."
Pneumococcus is in many people’s noses and throats and it is spread by coughing, sneezing, or contact with respiratory secretions. It is unknown why it can suddenly invade your body and causes disease.
Who should get the vaccine?
CDC recommends that you should get the pneumococcal vaccine if:
You are 65 years old or older.
You have a serious long-term health problem such as heart disease, sickle cell disease, and alcoholism, leaks of cerebrospinal fluid, lung disease (not including asthma), diabetes, or liver cirrhosis.
Your resistance to infection is lowered due to Hodgkin's disease; multiple myeloma; cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs; treatment with long-term steroids; bone marrow or organ transplant; kidney failure; HIV/AIDS; lymphoma, leukemia, or other cancers; nephrotic syndrome; damaged spleen or no spleen.
You are an Alaskan Native or from certain Native American populations.
It is also recommended that your children should get the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine if:
They are less than 2 years old.
He/she is between 2- 5 years old and the have a serious long-term health problem. Fore example this could include heart disease, sickle cell disease, lung disease (not including asthma), diabetes, or liver disease.
He/she is between 2-5 years old and their resistance to infection is lowered due to Hodgkin's disease; cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs; treatment with long-term steroids; bone marrow or organ transplant; kidney failure; HIV/AIDS; lymphoma, leukemia, or other cancers; nephrotic syndrome; damaged spleen or no spleen.
He/she is between 2-5 years old and they are an Alaskan Native, American Indian, African American, or he/she attends a group day care center.
City of Columbia Mobile
privacy & use policy
