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June 04, 2003
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
Effectiveness of Pneumococcal Polysaccharide
Vaccine in Older Adults
New England Journal of Medicine (www.nejm.org)
(05/01/03) Vol. 348, No. 18, P. 1747; Jackson, Lisa A.; Neuzil, Kathleen M.; Yu,
Onchee
U.S. hospitals see between 350,000 and 620,000
cases of seniors with community-acquired pneumonia annually. A recent study
looked at how well pneumonia was combated by a pneumococcal polysaccharide
vaccine. Hospitalization for pneumonia was experienced by 2,436 patients.
Community-acquired pneumonia was diagnosed in 1,600 patients, while only 61 had
pneumococcal bacteremia. The rate of the pneumococccal bacteremia was 44
percent lower when a person was vaccinated. Yet the likelihood of
community-acquired pneumonia was higher if the subject was vaccinated; however,
the disease chance was lessened if an influenza vaccine was utilized.
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