There has been a high demand for the pneumococcal, that is, pneumonia vaccine, which has been applied for many years in Turkey. The reason for this is the expectation that the pneumonia vaccine will protect against coronavirus. On the other hand, this vaccine reduces the risk of pneumonia that may develop after the coronavirus, but it does not mean that it will never occur. The real issue arises when people who are not in the risk group want to take precautions against possible pneumonia. Unfortunately, the vaccines produced according to the consumption rate of a year ago do not meet the demand, which has increased 50 times this year. The Ministry of Health has sufficient stocks of vaccines for infants and chronic patients. We asked Yeditepe University Hospitals Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Banu Musaffa Salepçi frequently asked questions about the subject.

• Does the pneumococcal vaccine protect against coronavirus?

The vaccine is made to protect against pneumococcus, the most common cause of pneumonia. This does not mean that there will be no pneumonia after vaccination, but it reduces the risk. It does not protect against COVID-19 pneumonia because it is directly caused by the virus, but it reduces the risk of pneumonia and pneumococcus that may develop after COVID-19 infection in people with risk factors for pneumonia.

• To whom do you particularly recommend this vaccine?

People under the age of 65 and who have no disease do not need this vaccine. It is recommended for people over 65 years of age who are at high risk of having the pneumococcal vaccine, people with chronic diseases such as asthma, COPD, heart failure, diabetes, and other heart diseases, people with rheumatic disease, cancer, or hematological disease that requires the use of immunosuppressive drugs, and people whose spleen has been removed for any reason.

The majority of people born in 2008 and after are fully vaccinated against pneumococcus. It is said that they do not need to be revaccinated...

With the instruction of the Ministry of Health, pneumococcal vaccine is routinely administered at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months in children since November 2008. But after 1 January 2019, the calendar was changed and the 6th month was removed. There is no need for repeat pneumococcal vaccination in children, as in adults, if there is no additional risk factor.

• What should children between the ages of 12-18, who have not received this vaccine, do?

Children in this group do not need a pneumococcal vaccine unless there is an additional risk factor. In case of excessive demand for the pneumococcal vaccine, there may not be enough vaccines for children under the age of 2, people over 65 years of age, and people in the risk group, who must absolutely be vaccinated.

• Is there a specific time or season to get vaccinated?

There are two types of pneumococcal vaccines. A conjugate vaccine containing 13 strains and a polysaccharide vaccine containing 23 strains. People over the age of 65 and people of any age with risk factors should receive the conjugate vaccine first, and the polysaccharide vaccine 6-12 months after that. The conjugate vaccine is administered once in a lifetime. The polysaccharide vaccine should be repeated every 5 years.