Pneumococcal Vaccination.

[pusillanimous]

I had a repeat pneumonia vaccination 2 days ago (here in South Africa, they are done every 5 or two years depending in your age.) This is the first one I have had since being diagnosed with PAF and two days later I had a short bout of AF - HR no higher than 106 at which stage I took 1,25mg Biso. and rate quickly went down, although I could feel the irregularity in my pulse, It did not last long. I'm wondering if it was the vaccine or the fact that I reported to my GP (who I was consulting at the time for a 6th monthly check and review of my medication) that the tops of my feet were a little swollen (the Cardio whom I had visited 3 months before advised me and reported to my GP that the right side of my heart is slightly enlarged, and attributed this to the fact that I have ACOS (Asthma overlapping COPD) and did not seem concerned, apparently, my refraction rate (whatever that means) is excellent. However, because of my feet, the GP has prescribed a diuretic containing medication, which after one tablet seemed to have improved my foot problem 99%. I go for blood tests in a few days -she wanted me to take the pill long enough to register a result before I go to give blood but before she phones me with the result, I would like to know if any other members had experienced similar problems with the pneumonia vaccine, so I can discuss it with her. She has also advised that I wait 6 weeks for my booster Covid, and as I want a Shingles vaccine, a further six months after the Covid for that. I will have to find out where I fit in the 'flu which here is given about the end of Feb, beginning of March !!!!!! Sorry for the diatribe !!!!

[CDreamer]

Hi you have a lot going on and whenever you have to manage more than one condition it becomes complex and often not clear what causes what so my following comments are thoughts and opinions based on my own experience.

AF caused by pneumococcal vaccine - possible but as anything or nothing can trigger AF impossible to say for certain.

Swollen feet will be oedema - fluid collecting in the legs and feet - which the diuretic will have cleared.

The time between vaccines is important so I think you have good advice from your GP. Here the flu and COVID vaccines are given at the same time but the Shingles vaccine, unlike all of the other vaccines is a ‘live’ vaccine so be very careful with that one.

I can’t have the shingles vaccine or even be in the same room as anyone who has recently had a ‘live’ vaccine which meant I had to miss seeing my grandchildren on a long planned trip to visit them as their school vaccinations coincided with our trip and I have to wait 6 days before coming in contact with them. My grandson already had had juvenile shingles which is evidently very rare.

You EF - Ejection Fraction - is a number expressed by a % which indicates how well your heart is pumping blood around your body. It’s calculated during an echocardiogram or scan and It’s a guide as to what other things may be going on and helpful to the doctors to determine which treatments would be helpful and which contraindicated. A number of around 50% is considered very good.

I’ve never had problems with AF after any vaccinations and had the pneumococcal so my guess would be that your other conditions and/or oedema are more likely to have triggered the AF.

Best wishes

[pusillanimous in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you

[BobD Volunteer]

To be honest that is impossibe to answer and with a rate of only 106, barely above the normal range so of little concern. You have enough things going on without worrying about a short blip which is most likely just one of those things we AF people get normally. For sure not having any vaccinations that you need has far greater worry.

[pusillanimous in reply to BobD]

Thank you

[browng]

Here in the UK, I had my shingles vaccination and later that week went for my Covid booster to be told there had to be at least 7 days between jabs, so I re-booked it for the following week.

Worth checking to see if you can have the jabs the other way round, shingles first and then Covid 7 days later if that is allowed?

I have PAF and had no problems with any of my jabs this autumn (flu, covid or shingles).

[pusillanimous in reply to browng]

Thanks for the suggestion, but here you do not get the Covid booster until at least 6 months after the second jab and having to wait six weeks after the pneumococcal makes it important to me to get it as soon as recommended, as it will be 7 months since the pneumonia one. . There is no urgency for the Shingles as I have never had the disease, it's just that I did have Chicken Pox as a child, and I want to avoid Shingles as it is a nasty painful condition but at least there is lot known about its treatment, whereas Covid 19, being such a new disease, there is still quite a lot to learn about dealing with it even if you contract it after a full course of vaccines.