Nov 02 2009
Pneumonia Deadly to Young and Old
Today is the first annual World Pneumonia Day. Nearly 100 health organizations worldwide have come together to call on governments to take action to address this deadly disease. This awareness campaign is focused on pneumonia in children; and rightly so since pneumonia kills more than two million kids worldwide every year, making it the leading killer of young children.
Let’s not forget, however, that the elderly are the second most-affected segment of our population when it comes to pneumonia. Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) causes about 500,000 hospitalizations in those older than 65 yearly in the US and is the 5th leading cause of death in people over 65. Nursing Home Acquired Pneumonia (NHAP) is one of the most common causes of infection in chronic care facilities and is one of the most significant infection-related causes of mortality in such facilities.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that last year 60% of adults 65 and over received a pneumococcal vaccination, sometimes called PPV. The good news is that if you get the pneumonia shot at age 65 or older, you should be protected from the most common type of bacterial pneumonia for the rest of your life, and Medicare will pay for it. According to the CDC, seniors age 65 and older should consider getting vaccinated against pneumonia as well as the seasonal flu, because they are at risk for developing the two infections at the same time.
So if you have an elderly family member, particularly one living in a senior living facility, find out if they have received a pneumonia vaccine. Some, such as my somewhat stubborn elderly father, may refuse to get the shot. But it is an important issue to raise with the individual and his or her doctor.