What is the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine?
The pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine is an immunization, developed in 1977, that protects against the pneumococcal bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae). These bacteria can cause not only infections of the lungs (pneumonia), but also infections of the blood (bacteremia), the covering of the brain (meningitis), and other parts of the body. This vaccine protects against most but not all of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease. It is actually better at preventing death or severe complications from pneumococcal infections than it is at preventing the infection itself.
