Pneumococcal

William Schaffner, MD, and Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP provide an overview of the identification and differential diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia.

High-risk patient populations for pneumococcal pneumonia are discussed by Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP.

Key opinion leaders discuss factors leading to the development of novel pneumococcal vaccines.

Despite injection site adverse effects, the overall benefit-risk balance for pneumococcal vaccination remains favorable.

COVID-19 is helping to shape current pharmacy practice, including increased vaccinations, access to care, and better interactions with patients.

Medical experts provide an overview of the signs and symptoms of pneumococcal infections.

As the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and PREP Act Expansions end, the ability of technicians to immunize patients in the future remains unclear.

Immunocompromised status still appears to be one of the highest independent risk factors for pneumococcal pneumonia in middle-aged and older adults.

Pharmacists who immunize must ensure their knowledge about routine vaccinations for adults and children is up-to-date by reviewing the changes to the immunization schedule each year.

Myths, fears, distrust, and misinformation on immunizations can keep patients from benefiting from their protective effects.

Treatment for community-acquired pneumococcal disease is dependent on patient-specific factors, whereas prevention with vaccinations is dependent on age and comorbidities.

As the summer months approach, pharmacists can offer many services to ensure patients remain safe and healthy during their travels.

Study findings suggest surveillance and prevention programs are needed for this common and deadly complication of hospitalization.

The diagnosis should change from an influenza infection if the patient has gradually increasing chest pain after the original diagnosis.

From 2017 to 2021, Australia did not experience a large increase in infections of serotype 19A across all ethnic and age groups, unlike New Zealand.

PCV10 protection is likely to have reduced the incidence of pneumococcal disease among all ages by between 48% and 66%.

At least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity found to improve outcomes in patients with flu or pneumonia.

Vaccination is especially important for older adults with any chronic health conditions because vaccines can prevent serious illness and resulting complications down the road.

The study shed light on the importance of the source of vaccine information and other factors that prevent lifesaving vaccination.

It is possible that the pandemic had a positive impact on influenza vaccination rates.

Study sheds light on the importance of the source of vaccine information and other factors that prevent lifesaving influenza or pneumococcal vaccination.

Analysis focuses on couples in the greater New Haven area in Connecticut between October 2020 and August 2021.

Infants diagnosed with invasive Group B Streptococcus meningitis had an increased risk of developing epilepsy if the mother was of lower income.

A 10% increase in the proportion of adults aged 50 years or older was associated with a 1.2% increase in pneumococcal vaccination coverage.

VAX-24 is designed to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia, which can be most serious for infants, young children, older adults, and those with immune deficiencies or some chronic health conditions.

Building strong, trusting relationships helps combat hesitancy, creating healthier communities.

Patients administered anakinra did not meet a study’s primary endpoint of proportion of patients who did not need mechanical ventilation 15 days after starting treatment for severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Not only are pharmacists easily accessible to the public, they are also highly visible as a source for travel immunization services.

Fomepizole, an FDA-approved drug to treat methanol poisoning, and erythromycin could offer a novel therapeutic option to fight drug-resistant S. pneumoniae.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods that are validated to determine bacterial load are important for assessing the impact of vaccines in public health programs.