Effect of pneumococcal shot

How do you get infected?

Pneumococci are transmitted through saliva and snot. You can get infected by:

• Inhalation of airborne droplets when someone with pneumococcal disease coughs or sneezes.
• Hand contact with someone who has just coughed or sneezed, followed by touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Kissing or cuddling with someone who is a carrier of the bacteria.

You can be a carrier of pneumococcus without getting sick yourself. The bacteria often settle in the nose and throat, but can sometimes still cause an infection. Symptoms vary from person to person and depend on the location of the infection in the body.

How do you get pneumococcus?

You can get pneumococcus from someone else. This is through saliva and snot. For example, like this:

• Someone with pneumococcus sneezes or coughs near you.
  You then inhale tiny droplets of saliva or snot through the air. This is how the pneumococcus gets into your nose, mouth, throat or lungs.
• Someone with pneumococcus sneezes or coughs into their hands and then hands you.
  If you touch your eyes, mouth or nose with that hand, pneumococci will enter your body.
• You kiss or hug someone with pneumococcus.

Vaccination

The pneumococcal vaccination is part of the basic vaccination schedule for children under 2 years of age. The vaccine contains dead pieces of the bacteria and protects against 20 types of pneumococci. After vaccination, the body produces antibodies, allowing it to respond faster and better in case of later infection. This reduces the risk of illness.

Vaccination is also strongly recommended for adults, especially for high-risk groups such as people aged 65 and over and those with weakened immune systems. Vaccination is free for children under 2 years of age and, under certain conditions, for adults between 65 and 80 years of age.

Are you turning 60? Then in the same year you will receive an invitation from your GP for the pneumococcal shot. This is usually given in the autumn and is free of charge. In most cases, one shot is enough for long-term protection.