pneumonia vaccine?

[VisionaryMom]

I volunteer pretty extensively at a transitional center for homeless women. One of the women living there died Saturday.

I had spent considerable time with her as had my son (he's often there with me). The nurse who was her primary contact at the hospital suggested to the home's caseworker that those of us who were in contact with her should consider the pneumonia vaccine. She said that she was contagious and that her illness was airborne (I have no idea if this is typically true of pneumonia.).

Would you consider the vaccine? My children are vaxed selectively, and none of us get the flu shots.

[Emmeline II]

Pneumonia is not contagious. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung, usually caused by an infection. Three common causes are bacteria, viruses and fungi. So it is possible your body has the virus or bacteria she had, but that does not mean you will develop pneumonia.

[Sileree]

Thirty percent of the population carries S. pneumoniae in their throats asymptomatically.

From Prevnar's package insert:

"Close contacts of pneumococcal meningitis or other invasive pneumococcal disease are not normally at an increased risk of pneumococcal infection and therefore antibiotic prophylaxis is not indicated."

[VisionaryMom]

Okay, so I think I'm not going to get it. Neither of us seems sick, and I don't want to get any shots that aren't necessary.