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May 22, 2002
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"New Vaccine Offers Help for Pneumonia Sufferers"
Australian Broadcasting Corp. News (www.abc.net.au/news)
(05/21/02)
New influenza vaccination Pneumovax, recently shown effective in a Victoria, Australia, based clinical trial, will hopefully prevent the onset of pneumonia during winter months. Pneumonia kills 20 percent of infected people, with most victims over the age of 65. The study determined that Pneumovax, given free to people over the age of 65 last year, decreased the death rate from 116 victims in 2000 to just 71 people in 2001. Western Australia's Great Southern region doctor Toby Leach believes that with greater access to the vaccine, the pneumonia-related death rate will drop even further this year.
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