PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The pneumococcal vaccine, designed to help fight pneumonia, was first developed in 1977 and is perhaps the most complicated of all vaccines. There are at least 100 strains of pneumococcus, the cause of pneumonia.
Over the years, the vaccines have been improved to attack even more strains. The CDC has recommended shots for children under 5 and people over 65, but recently a special advisory committee lowered the adult age of vaccination from 65 to 50. This is because each year more than 10,000 people between the ages of 50 and 64 develop cases of pneumonia serious enough to hospitalize or even kill them.
The hope is that lowering the vaccination age will save more lives in that age group.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough .
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.