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All About Pneumococcal Disease

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Who is at Risk of Pneumococcal Disease?

Anybody can get pneumococcal disease. However, some groups are at a significantly higher risk for pneumococcal disease or its complications.

People at higher risk include:

• Infants and children younger than two years of age.
• Children who have an underlying medical condition which predisposes them to invasive pneumococcal disease.
• People over 65 years of age.
• Children in poor areas of developing countries.
• People with weakened immune systems, such as those with immunosuppression (e.g. high-dose steroids, chemotherapy), HIV, or AIDS.
• Patients with chronic diseases, such as:
• Diabetes
• Lung disease
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Kidney disease
• Sickle cell disease
• Alcoholism
• Residents of chronic (long-term) care facilities.
• Patients who have a history of spleen dysfunction or spleen disease.
• Tobacco smokers.
• People who have a cochlear implant (a type of hearing aid).
• Patients with cerebrospinal fluid leak (e.g. due to fractured base of skull)

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This Pneumococcal Disease information section was written by Christian Nordqvist for Medical News Today, and may not be re-produced in any way without the permission of Medical News Today. Additional materials provided by Wyeth.

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Sources of information:

• www.wyethvaccines.co.uk

Further information

• Useful Pediatrics / Children's Health Website Links

Disclaimer: The Pneumococcal Disease section on Medical News Today is funded by an educational grant from Wyeth. This guide is provided for general information purposes only. The materials contained within this guide do not constitute medical or pharmaceutical advice, which should be sought from qualified medical and pharmaceutical advisers. Full disclaimer.

© MediLexicon International Ltd

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What is Pneumococcal Disease?

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