Who should be given the pneumonia vaccine?
Some groups of people are thought to be particularly susceptible to getting pneumonia; hence, medical professionals recommend that these groups get the pneumonia shots to immunize themselves against it. These groups are: • People who are 65 years old or older. • People who are more than two years old who are afflicted with chronic heart, lung, or other organic disorders such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cardiomyopathy, chronic liver disease, and diabetes mellitus. • People above two years of age with dysfunction of the spleen resulting from sickle cell disease or asplenia; splenectomy, or the surgical removal of the spleen; malignancy of the blood resulting in leukemia; kidney failure; multiple myeloma; and alcoholism. • People more than two years old undergoing immunosuppressive treatment for AIDS or for organ transplantation. • Some Native Americans and Alaskan natives. Unlike the flu shot, the pneumonia vaccination need not be taken every year. Usually, a single dose of the vac
