What is pneumonia?

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Pneumonia is an illness that can make people so unwell that they could die.

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More people get pneumonia in winter, but it can happen at any time of year.

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Pneumonia is an illness that can make it hard to breathe and can make people very sick.

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Research shows that too many people with a learning disability die from pneumonia.

About the pneumonia vaccine

The proper name for the pneumonia vaccine is the pneumococcal vaccine. It can help protect you against getting very sick from pneumonia.

The pneumonia vaccine can also help protect you against getting sick from other illnesses including sepsis.

Many adults only need to have this vaccine once. Some people may need to have more doses.

The pneumonia vaccine is given as an injection.

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Who can have the pneumonia vaccine?

Groups who can get the pneumonia vaccine include:

  • Babies
  • People aged 65 or over
  • Children and adults who are more at risk of getting unwell. This includes:
    - long term lung and breathing conditions like COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or very bad asthma
    - people whose disability may make breathing harder or make them more likely to choke, including people with cerebral palsy
    - long term heart disease or problems with your heart
    - people with sickle cell disease
    - long term kidney disease
    - people with diabetes that needs medication to keep it under control
    - people with cochlear implants (inside the ear).

How to get the pneumonia vaccine

If you think you, or the person you support, might need to have a pneumonia vaccine (pneumococcal vaccine), talk to your GP surgery.

You can have this vaccine at any time of year, but it is a good idea to get protected in time for winter.

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Where to find more information about the pneumonia vaccine

Questions and answers about the pneumonia vaccine

You may be able to have this vaccine at the same time, speak to your GP about what they think is best.

If you have to wait longer to have your pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine, we do not think it would be a good idea to put off having your flu or COVID vaccines just so you can have all the vaccines at the same time

This vaccine protects you from a type of bacteria. These bacteria are called pneumococcal bacteria, and that's how the vaccine gets its name.

This bacteria can cause pneumonia and other infections.

Sadly, some people with a learning disability also get another type of pneumonia from breathing things like food and drink into their lungs by accident. This is called aspiration pneumonia. The best way to stop people getting sick from this kind of pneumonia is by making sure people get the right support for:

  • eating and drinking
  • siting or lying down in good positions for breathing well
  • keeping a healthy and clean mouth.

Having the vaccine can help protect people, who get infections from breathing in food and drink by accident, from getting very sick. Having the vaccine can give them better chances of getting well.

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Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for their generous grant, funding this work.