Who Should Be Vaccinated Against Pneumonia?

People under the age of 65 and without any disease do not need to be vaccinated against Pneumococcus / Pneumonia.

People for whom the Pneumococcal / Pneumonia Vaccine is recommended:

• People over the age of 65 who are at high risk of contracting pneumococcus, i.e., pneumonia.
• Those with chronic diseases such as asthma, COPD, heart failure, diabetes, and other heart diseases.
• People with rheumatic disease, cancer, or hematological disease that require the use of immunosuppressive medications.
• People whose spleen has been removed for any reason.

The Pneumococcal / Pneumonia vaccine is routinely administered in children at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months as of November 2008, with the instruction of the Ministry of Health. As of 1 January 2019, the calendar was changed and the 6th month was removed. If there is no additional risk factor in children as in adults, there is no need for a repeat Pneumococcal / Pneumonia vaccine.

Is There a Specific Time or Season to Get Vaccinated?

There are two types of Pneumococcal / Pneumonia vaccines. The conjugate vaccine containing 13 strains and the polysaccharide vaccine containing 23 strains. People over the age of 65 and people of any age with risk factors should first receive the conjugate vaccine containing 13 strains, and 6-12 months later, the polysaccharide vaccine containing 23 strains.

• A conjugate vaccine containing 13 strains is administered once in a lifetime.
• Polysaccharide vaccines containing 23 strains should be repeated every 5 years.