Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcus is a disease caused by a bacterial infection called Streptococcus pneumoniae. Although it causes pneumonia, which leads to illness and death worldwide, it is a disease that can be prevented by vaccination.

This bacteria can be found everywhere and often lives in the nasal and throat passages of carriers without causing any symptoms. The bacteria spreads to others through coughing or sneezing, which results in the dispersion of respiratory droplets. The bacteria enters the body through contact with contaminated objects, similar to the spread of the common cold and flu.

Symptoms of patients infected with Pneumococcus

If there is a suspicion of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

- Pulmonary edema may have a high fever, cough, rapid breathing, wheezing, and may have symptoms of the flu beforehand or not.

- Middle ear infection may have a high fever, earache, dizziness, and fussiness.

- Encephalitis may have a sudden high fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, or rapid loss of consciousness. Patients may have a high fever with or without other accompanying symptoms, and should seek medical attention promptly.

Treatment of Pneumococcus disease

The most important treatment is to provide antimicrobial drugs that can quickly eliminate the Pneumococcus before resistance to penicillin occurs. Antimicrobial drugs can kill the virus within 24 hours, but currently, resistance to penicillin is increasing, requiring doctors to use new drug classes for treatment. The difficulty of treating this disease depends on where the infection occurs, for example, if it infects the brain tissue, it may cause damage to the brain tissue as well. Patients may have residual disabilities in survivors.

The Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23)

The Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) is a vaccine that protects against 23 different types of pneumococcal bacteria, including those that often cause severe diseases.

Adults with good health will develop immunity to most or all of the bacteria within 2 to 3 weeks after receiving the vaccine. However, the elderly, children under 2 years of age, and chronically ill patients may not respond to the vaccine as well as they should or may not respond at all.

Who should receive the PPSV23 vaccine?

• Adults aged 65 years or older
• People between 2 and 64 years old with chronic health problems such as:

• Heart disease, lung disease, blood disease, diabetes, chronic alcoholism, liver disease, cerebrospinal fluid leaks or cochlear implants.

• People between 2 and 64 years old with diseases that weaken the body's ability to fight infection, such as:

• Chronic renal failure, cancer of the lymphatic system or blood, kidney failure, multiple myeloma, diseases affecting the function of the spleen, HIV/AIDS or other immunocompromising conditions.

• People between 2 and 64 years old who take medications or receive treatment that weaken the body's ability to fight infection, such as:

• Long-term use of steroids, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.

• Adults aged 19 to 64 who:

• Smoke cigarettes
• Have asthma.

How many times and when should PPSV23 be administered?

            Normally, PPSV23 is given only once, but in some cases a second dose may be necessary.

• • A second dose should be given to individuals aged 65 years or older who received their first dose when they were younger than 65 years and have been vaccinated for more than 5 years.
  • A second dose should be given to individuals aged 2 to 64 years who: have muscle weakness or no muscle, have congenital blood disorders, have been infected with HIV or AIDS, have cancer, have lymphoma, have kidney disease or abnormal kidney function, have undergone organ or bone marrow transplantation, or have received immunosuppressive drugs (such as long-term corticosteroids or androgen therapy). The second dose of vaccine should be administered 5 years after the first dose.

Monitoring for side effects:

Vaccines are like any other medication that may cause side effects. For the PPSV23 vaccine, minor side effects may occur such as pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site. There is a small chance (about 1%) of fever or muscle pain. If these symptoms occur, apply a cold compress to the injection site or take appropriate fever-reducing medication. If serious or severe symptoms occur, consult a doctor immediately and provide detailed information about the symptoms.

Taking care of possible side effects

Things to observe:

- Observe for various abnormal symptoms of severe allergies, such as rash, facial swelling, swollen mouth, swollen throat, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, etc. These symptoms may occur within 2-3 minutes to 1-2 hours after receiving the vaccine.

Things to do:

- If there is a suspicion that the vaccine recipient has a severe allergic reaction, send the patient to the nearest hospital.

• In the case of using combination vaccines containing diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and hepatitis B vaccines, it can be given (after the first needle) at 2, 4, and 6 months of age.
• For children who have never received the vaccine before, for children under 11 years old, the vaccine can be administered in the 0, 1, and 6 months. For children aged 11-15, only 2 doses may be given in the 0 month and 4-6 months, using a 1.0 ml vaccine dose equivalent to an adult.

Adults:

o Individuals who have not yet received the hepatitis B vaccine and are at risk of contracting the virus, such as:

§ Individuals who have had sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis B virus

§ Men who have sex with men

§ Individuals who inject drugs

§ Individuals who have had sex with more than one person

§ Individuals with chronic liver or kidney disease

§ Individuals with diabetes who are under 60 years old

§ Medical personnel who come into contact with blood or various secretions

§ Individuals in families with hepatitis B virus infection

§ Individuals who travel to countries with hepatitis B virus outbreaks

§ Individuals with AIDS

o Pregnant women who are at risk can also receive the vaccine.

Who should not receive the hepatitis B vaccine?

• • Individuals who have had a severe allergic reaction to the hepatitis B vaccine or any of its components, which can be life-threatening.
• • Individuals who are currently sick should wait until they have fully recovered before receiving the vaccine.

It is recommended to see a doctor if any of the following undesirable symptoms occur, even though the risk of severe adverse reactions to the vaccine is very low:

• Unusual symptoms such as severe allergic reactions, difficulty breathing, wheezing, high fever, rash, swelling of the face or mouth, pale skin, or rapid heartbeat.

With best wishes from the Vaccination Center at Vibhavadi Hospital.