If you are aged over 65 and have diabetes, COPD, asthma, renal disease or a long term medical condition, you are entitled to receive a one-off immunisation that can help protect against pneumococcal diseases
Please discuss this with a member of the reception team or one of the doctors or nurses.
Further information : Pneumococcal Immunisation
Pneumococcus can cause diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and blood infections. Children aged under two years should receive the vaccine. You should consider having the vaccine if you are aged over 65 years or have certain diseases of the lung, heart, kidney, liver and nervous system.
The immunisation is a one-off injection in your arm. It provides life long protection against many types of pneumococcus.
What is the pneumococcus?
Pneumococcus is a germ (bacterium) which can cause pneumonia, meningitis and some other infections. Pneumonia caused by pneumococcus occurs in about 1 in 1000 adults each year. Pneumococcal infection can affect anybody. However young children, older people and some other groups of people are at increased risk of developing a pneumococcal infection.
The Vaccine
The vaccine stimulates your body to make antibodies against pneumococcal germs (bacteria). These antibodies protect you from illness should you become infected with pneumococcal bacteria. The vaccines protect against many (but not all) types of pneumococcal bacteria.
Are there any side-effects?
Pneumococcal immunisation usually causes no problems. Mild soreness and a lump at the injection site sometimes occur. A mild high temperature (fever) may develop for a day or so. These side-effects are usually minor and soon go away.
Who should not receive the pneumococcal immunisation?
* If you have had a severe reaction to a previous dose of pneumococcal vaccine.
* A dose of vaccine may be delayed if you are ill or your child is ill, with a high temperature (fever)
* There is no reason to delay a dose of vaccine if you have a minor infection or your child has a minor infection such as a cough, cold or snuffles.
