Oct. 24, 2024 – People ages 50 to 64 have a brand new annual vaccine so as to add to their fall schedule.
The CDC now says everyone ages 50 to 64 should get a pneumococcal vaccine to guard against serious illnesses akin to pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections. They are attributable to an infection called Pneumococcal disease this comes from a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae. (It can be called pneumococcus.)
The CDC's independent expert panel made the expanded suggestion on Wednesday, and CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, confirmed it the identical day. Previously, pneumococcal vaccinations were beneficial for people aged 65 and over and for younger adults at high risk. Children receive a series of vaccinations before they turn 5 years old.
The move to incorporate more adults is primarily geared toward improving access to vaccinations and eliminating disparities between racial groups.
“Lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination gives more adults the opportunity to protect themselves from pneumococcal disease at an age when the risk of infection increases significantly,” the CDC said in a news release.
Nearly 9 in 10 people ages 50 to 64 who were hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia had not less than one other health condition that put them at high risk of illness, a study finds analysis submitted to the advisory board. These high-risk diseases include heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, a weakened immune system and certain varieties of cancer. An estimated 32 to 54 percent of individuals ages 50 to 64 have a condition that puts them at increased risk.
An advisory committee assumes that vaccination protection lasts between 10 and 20 years presentation reported.
The out-of-pocket costs for the vaccines ranged from $261 to $319 in 2023. People can get a pneumococcal vaccine at any time, and the CDC suggested that “now is a good time to get a pneumococcal vaccine in preparation for the winter respiratory season.”