Erna V. and Klaus M. don’t know each other, yet they have a lot in common: both feel good about their health despite their chronic illness, she diabetic, he asthmatic; both had severe pneumonia caused by pneumococci.
High risk for diabetics and respiratory patients
With vaccination, they could have prevented pneumococcal-related pneumonia. What few people know: Pneumococcal pneumonia kills about 12,000 people each year in Germany alone. What makes the bacteria so dangerous is the rapid progression of the disease: every second death occurs within 48 hours, despite treatment with antibiotics. In addition, pneumococcal bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
Chronically ill patients are at risk
People with a chronic illness, such as Erna V. and Klaus M., are particularly at risk. Because their immune systems do not always function at 100 percent, dangerous bacteria such as pneumococci can then easily trigger life-threatening pneumonia or blood poisoning. For this reason, independent experts from the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) recommend pneumococcal vaccination for both diabetics and chronic respiratory patients. It protects for the period of six years.
Only one in seven is vaccinated against pneumococci
Few are aware of the danger, and doctors don’t always think about vaccination either. All diabetics and patients with chronic respiratory diseases should ask their primary care physician, diabetes or pulmonary specialist about pneumococcus and protect their own health with vaccination.
The nationwide education and participation campaign on pneumococci and vaccination provides an opportunity for information. Good for your well-being and your wallet: health insurance companies cover the cost of vaccination for all chronically ill people and those over 60.
Today, Erna V. and Klaus M. have something in common again: both have had themselves vaccinated on the advice of their doctors, thus preventing pneumococcal pneumonia.As a standard, pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for all persons over 60 years of age. Regardless of age, the STIKO also recommends vaccination for chronically ill patients, including people with diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma or COPD, and cardiovascular diseases. These groups of people can be vaccinated against influenza (flu) in parallel.
The peak time for pneumococcal and influenza vaccination has begun, and both vaccinations are recommended by the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) to almost identical risk groups. Unlike the flu vaccine, however, the vaccination rate against pneumococcal disease is only about 15 percent.
Asthmatics
Pneumococci are bacteria that can be found in the nose and throat of about half of the population without causing people to become ill. Under certain circumstances, the pathogens can enter the body. The airways of asthmatics offer pneumococci an ideal target. Here, the bacteria spread, reach the lungs and from there into the blood. The result: severe pneumonia, even life-threatening blood poisoning.
Despite treatment, pneumococcal diseases are often fatal, because the bacteria can multiply suddenly: Antibiotics then do not have enough time to take effect.
Diabetics
Pneumococci are the most common cause of nonhospital-acquired pneumonia, often associated with the complication of life-threatening sepsis. Victims are primarily elderly and chronically ill people. For this reason, diabetics – like all persons with chronic diseases – are generally more at risk from viruses and bacteria.
Despite medical advice, few are vaccinated, yet vaccination is the only way to protect people at high risk from severe pneumococcal disease.
