How Often Should You Get A Pneumonia Vaccine?
Various factors determine how often you should get a pneumonia shot. For example, your age and total health will significantly affect how often you get your vaccine. According to the CDC, the recommended schedule of pneumonia shots include:
- Infants should get the PCV13 vaccine at 2, 4, 6, and 12–15 months.
- Adults should only take one dose of PCV13.
- For people older than 65 years and people with an underlying health condition should take only one dose of PPSV23.
- A person younger than 65 years should get the PPSV23 vaccine if they are under chemotherapy treatment, smoke, or have any of these conditions; chronic heart disease, asthma, alcohol use disorder, HIV, and Hodgkin disease.
Your doctor may recommend the two types of vaccines to you if you have any of the listed conditions:
- Cochlear implants
- Anatomic or functional asplenia occurs when tissue of the spleen loses its functions.
- Cerebrospinal fluid leak
Who Should Not Get the Vaccine?
The pneumonia vaccine is administered to prevent bacteria or viral infection in the lungs. However, in some people, a shot of this vaccine may cause more harm than good. For example, people who have experienced a life threatening allergic reaction after taking a dose.