Pneumonia Vaccine - any experience with it helping or having side effects. Concern with aluminum

[Ahopeful]

My husband has PD and is 67 yrs old. His internal med doc recommended he get the pneumonia vaccine because of his age and PD. I would like to reduce his risk of getting pneumonia but am concerned that the vaccines include aluminum, a known neurological toxin.

Please reply if you have received the vaccine and if you noticed any side effects, if you think it helped, etc.

If you are aware of any other ways to reduce your risk of pneumonia, please share your insights. Thanks.

[Icequeen10]

I have been getting my pneumonia vaccination every year...long before I was dx with Parkinson's. I have had no problems. I really don't want to die for pneumonia....it's awful. There isn't any other way to protect ourselves.

[Hikoi in reply to Icequeen10]

I thought it was a one off injection for pneumonia (or sometimes 2). Perhaps you are meaning yearly flu injections? If I knew of other ways to stop pneumonia I would tell the world. Pneumonia is the biggest killer for PwP I believe.

[Icequeen10 in reply to Hikoi]

Oops,. Thanks for the correction!

[Ahopeful in reply to Hikoi]

Thank you. I think you are correct

[Goldencbc]

I just got my second of 2 pneumonia vaccination shots. My doctor said I needed a second one. No problem. I have asthma and need it for sure.

[Ahopeful in reply to Goldencbc]

Thank you. My husbands doc also said it was a 2 part vaccine.

[Donzim]

PD patients are prone to pneumonia due to the increased possibility of aspirating food or liquid into the lungs. Not generally a fan of flu shots, etc. but decided that at a certain age and condition, it was worth it. Being in our 70s at the time, we decided it was worth it. Why not discuss the aluminum issue with your doctor...sometimes these stories are not valid. At 67 with a progressive degenerative disease, it may be that aluminum toxicity is the least of your worries...

[Ahopeful in reply to Donzim]

Thank you. Our internal medicine dr was traditionally trained and is not up on alternative treatments nor risks from aluminum. We’ve seen an alternative medicine dr trained as a DC and naturopath that advises against aluminum, but were not sure the homeopathic remedy is adequate. We will probably get the vaccine

[Donzim]

Yes there are risks to aluminum...usually long term. The risk of pneumonia is immediate and severe for PDers. You will have to weigh the risks. If he gets pneumonia, he will have to take antibiotics and probably breathing stimulants. His gut biome will be disturbed. All PDers suffer more and heal slower with any illness, even a simple cold.

[Donzim]

There is an initial shot and possibly a booster later. I know that because I was in the five year period I had to get the booster.

[MarionP]

Absolutely get the vaccine. Yes you probably will experience some symptoms, a lot of soreness in muscles actually should occur, it means the vaccine is active in stimulating antibodies. As age advances susceptibility to the ever increasingly virulent causes of pneumonia also increases, and above age 60 it is TYPICALLY capable of killing you.

Two part series of injections. It will probably save your life at least once without you even realizing it. Yes you will have even more symptoms for a few days, but they generally subside by about a week to 10 days (at the most).

The bits about aluminum are complete nonsense and very much misinformation, you are likely to have consumed more aluminum in many of your typical makeup and toiletry products many many times over a very long time ago and ever since. Again, the fear mongering stories about aluminum in immunizations is complete, utter nonsense.

[Ahopeful in reply to MarionP]

Thank you

[Ep0522 in reply to MarionP]

Though I had no known symptoms at all, what you said about being likely to have consumed more aluminum over the years is exactly what my md told me!