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Should I have pneumonia vaccination. .....?

Posted , 7 users are following.

jan21306
jan21306

Should I have the pneumonia vaccination with PMR while on 7mg Pred ?

i had the flu jab last Autumn.   I didnt want them both together, but now i am a little worried about the reports of a flu epidemic and consequent pneumonia.

What is the general feeling about this.  I am booked for one at 2.30 today.   Thanks everyone !

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH jan21306

    Posted

    No idea to be honest - never had one because I have never been offered one.

    But they don't PREVENT you developing pneumonia, they reduce the risk for about half of patients. And there is a chance that you will be in the half who are helped less because the pred MAY reduce the amount of response your immune system has to the vaccine. That isn't to say you shouldn't - it is to say, don't be lulled into a false sense of security if you DO become ill and assume it can't possibly be pneumonia.

    ACtually - it is fine to have them together but they should be done in different arms!

    • jan21306
      jan21306 EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks Eileen.   To sum it up,  there is no reason not to have it, and it may help if I should develop pneumonia.   in that case, I think I will go ahead with it.  Funnily enough I did say to the nurse who offered it to me when I had the flu jab, what about different arms.  She wasnt very helpful at the time, so I decided against it.

      Thanks for your very helpful advice/information.

    • EileenH
      EileenH jan21306

      Posted

      Exactly. Probably didn't know - she would have had to read the documentation... 

    • macas02
      macas02 EileenH

      Posted

      On the subject of vaccines, I had a call from my GP surgery to ask why I hadn't had my Shingles jab. I explained that I thought It would not be right for me to have a "live vaccine"

      The nurse practitioner telephoned me to say that it was fine for me to have the jab because my pred was below 20mg,she also said she hoped I was getting my info from a reputable website.she was happy to discuss it with me and realised I had done my homework and said in the end it was my decision.she had not read anything about it being a bigger risk for PMR patients. I was very pleased that I had read the info that I think you posted a few months ago.

       

    • Reeceregan
      Reeceregan EileenH

      Posted

      Hi Eileen, 

      i just read macas02 post regarding reading information you posted a while back regarding the shingles jab. I was offered this recently but when I told the nurse I had never had chickenpox she said not to worry. I’d be interested in reading the information you posted. Could you please direct me to the information and I’ll read up on it. TYIA. X

    • EileenH
      EileenH Reeceregan

      Posted

      If you didn't have CP as a child (or adult) then you cannot develop shingles. The virus becomes dormant in nerve ending is certain areas of the body after the CP is over. At some point in the future it may reactivate, possibly because the immune system is dodgy but no-one really knows. That is what causes shingles. No CP, no shingles. However - if you REALLY have never had CP - you could still catch it as an adult and it tends to be more severe. 

      But this is probably the post you mean:

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-shingles-vaccine-debate-and-polymyalgia-rheumatica-546177

    • Reeceregan
      Reeceregan EileenH

      Posted

      My gorgeous mum once told me I’d only ever had a mild case of measles at about 18mths old,  and I’ve always known that if I ever get any of the common child hood diseases as an adult that I would probably be a lot sicker. Of course now that I need to know for sure she has passed away, so I can’t check. Thanks for sharing the link, I’ll jump on and read up. I jumped on the link mentioned in another post about “what causes osteoporosis, the results may surprise you” and low and behold I was history from a teenager.  Estrogen issues with endometriosis for years, two years on a steroid based drug to treat it, left salpingo oopherectomy (excuse spelling ),  genetic history (Mum), small build..the list goes on. It’s amazing what you learn from this forum, and being able to follow links posted by others. It would have been easy to blame the pred, but I haven’t been in it long enough to cause a -4 t score.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Reeceregan

      Posted

      Exactly - and your doctors should have been thinking ahead after an oophorectomy and small build anyway. HRT does a brilliant job of avoiding bone density loss...
  • karenjaninaz
    karenjaninaz jan21306

    Posted

    My sister, who is extremely healthy 77 and my cousin age 66 a clinic physician both had pneumonia last year. Neither had had the vaccine. It was a terrible experience for both despite the antibiotics. There are 2 pneumonia vaccines: pneumovax and Prevnar. These prevent bacterial pneumonia so as well as bacterial meningitis and septicemia. Each vaccine has specific bacterial targets and are given a year apart for long term immunity. These pneumonias are common in the elderly and used to be called "the old man's friend" for a quick painless death.

    The pneumonia from the flu can be either viral or bacterial. Death from the flu is usually from multi organ failure.

    i honestly do not know whether getting these vaccines are helpful while on pred. I got mine before I got PMR. In the US there is more stress on these vaccines than in Europe. My cousin in Estonia had pneumonia twice and had never been offered the vaccine. She is 78.

    • jan21306
      jan21306 karenjaninaz

      Posted

      I had the vaccination this afternoon.   I had no idea there were two different ones, so I dont know which one it was.   Thank you for the information, I will see if I can find out.

       

    • karenjaninaz
      karenjaninaz jan21306

      Posted

      In the US the older vaccine called Pneumovax has been around for a long time. I got it twice because I have lung issues: once at age 59 and again 4 Years ago at 71. A newer supplemental vaccine called Prevnar prevents infections not prevented by Pneumovax. Those vaccines should be given a year apart.
  • Anhaga
    Anhaga jan21306

    Posted

    I had the pneumonia vaccine last year.  It's a once in a lifetime shot.  Only side effect was a very longlasting bruise, but I think that's caused by the person who gives you the shot, not the vaccine!  A bit of insignificant stiffness lasting a day or so, also.

    My husband used to get pneumonia at least once a year.  Since having vaccination a few years ago he has not had a recurrence.  Of course he doesn't have PMR.

    • jan21306
      jan21306 Anhaga

      Posted

      Hi Anhaga.  Thats good news and very encouraging that your husband has not had Pneumonia since his vaccination.   Yes, I was told that the vaccine lasts at least 10 years.

      My arm is just a little bit sore, but no bruise !

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