Hi all. I have recently returned to Spain for the foreseeable future and managed to get my covid vaccination shortly after my arrival a few weeks ago. I had my flu vaccination in the UK just before we came out. I have to say that I have responded well to both vaccinations with no adverse side effects despite being a bit unstable on my prednisolone medication at the moment due to a stress induced flare up.I have now been offered a pneumonia vaccination from the same nurse at the medical centre where I got my covid jab (apparently they are offered together here) but have delayed it for 10 days until I can find out a little more about it on this forum. From what I can gather, through the interpreter, it isn't a live vaccination. Have other people on this site had the pneumonia vaccination? This will be my first time ever to have it.
My PMR is pretty unstable at the moment again due to the stress of travelling and trying to find somewhere to live and I am back up to 10mg hoping to reduce again in the near future. I have spoken to a doctor here and I have got repeat blood tests ordered at the medical centre in a few weeks time. My previous inflammation levels were a bit raised (PV 1.79) a month ago before we moved out but I have since responded reasonably well to this higher 10mg dose.
Any help would be greatly appreciated with regards to having the vaccination. Thank you 🙏.
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Elispeth
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Hi Dorset Lady. Thank you for your reply it is very much appreciated.I suppose I am reticent because it is yet another new vaccination that has been offered to me and I don't know very much about it. I am also worried about making my condition worse as it is my experience that PMR has an absolute mind of its own.
I will take your advice and will check at the medical centre to see how long the vaccination programme is running and see if I can delay it for a little bit longer. Thank you for your help once again.
Can understand that… we seem to have bombarded with vaccines over the last few years… but those with immune compromised systems do require them more than the general man or lady on the street.
If you’d had issues with vaccines previously then that’s a different matter .. but as you haven’t then I’d say go for it. 😊
I had the pneumonia vaccination 3yrs ago. (I was diagnosed with PMR the year before) and I didn't experience any adverse side effects.
It's a one off vaccination so once it's done...it's done. Its not an annual vaccination.
I personally felt it a good thing and right for me & my circumstances to have some protection from pneumonia..... it can be a life threatening condition.
You will have to make a decision based on your own individual set of circumstances though.
Hi Kendrew. Thank you for your reply. Yes I had heard that it was a one off vaccination too. I think it was that factor that made me wonder about it. In the beginning I didn't know whether it would be a live vaccination or not but it sounds as if it is similar to a flu vaccination.
It's good to hear that you didn't experience any adverse affects from it and as you say it will give me some protection against the pneumonia virus which canbe life threatening.
Thank you for your help. It is greatly appreciated. Best wishes to you.
I only required one vaccine in accordance with NHS guidelines for those 65yrs and over.
For the majority of people, one vaccination will suffice, but you're right in that there may be some circumstances where a second vaccination is necessary.
I had my pneumonia jab about 4 years ago the same time as I had a flu jab with no I’ll effects.
I am up to date with my jabs at the moment as had my flu and Covid jabs just over a month ago and had my Shingrix jab 2 weeks before that and the second one this week.
I take any jabs I am offered as long as they are not live.
Hi Koalajane. Thank you for taking the time to reply and for your well wishes. That all sounds very positive again! I will definitely go ahead and have the vaccination. Best wishes to you.
I had the pneumococcal vaccine a few years go precisely because I was on prednisolone. No ill effects, but it's only effective against some bacteria infections and I did get pneumonia this year. however, it can also protect against sepsis and meningitis. What's not to like?😀
Thank you for your reply Sharitone. Oh wow I am sorry that you had pneumonia earlier this year. That must have an awful time for you. I had a bad respiratory infection and then covid last year all within a few weeks of each other. It was a very difficult time. I didn't know that the pneumonia vaccination also protects against sepsis and meningitis. I will definitely have it I think now as the more I hear about it the better it seems. I wish you better health for the future. Take care 🙂!
I've had one pneumonia vaccination (Prevnar13), and it was after I started taking pred; my doctor thought it would be a good idea because of the pred, although unlike my husband I'm not prone to lung infections. Touch wood.
I don't know which vaccine you're being offered but there are several. A new one (new to Canada at any rate) this year is called Prevnar20 here, and it's advised than everyone over a certain age have it, even if they've already had Prevnar13 (PCV13) and Pneumovax23 (PPSV23). Prevnar20 is supposed to have longer lasting effect than Pneumovax23. I believe Pneumovax is only offered to high risk people here, and a year after Prevnar, not at the same time. It's worth asking what vaccine you're being offered and also if there's a new one which might be available within the next year. (The new one is not yet covered by our public insurance but it will be eventually as it replaces the older version.)
I watched a Webinar about vaccinations for older Canadians just last week and they were recommending Prevnar20, but I'm sure if it weren't available they'd recommend one get whatever is offered. My husband used to get pneumonia regularly, every May for some reason, until he got the pneumonia vaccine (would have been Prevnar 13, later Pneumovax23). Lately he's been getting sick more often again so I guess the effects have worn off after all these years although he was told at the time that it was a once in a lifetime vaccination.
Hi HeronNS. Thankyou for your reply. That's all very interesting to read. I'm not sure what the vaccine will be but I will try to find out. I am in Spain and their healthcare is pretty amazing so I would expect that it would be the latest one. Sorry to hear that your husband's health hasn't been too good again. It can't be easy being prone to infections like that. I wish you well 💐
Coincidentally, just before clicking on the alert to your reply, I read a request for volunteers for a trial of a 25-valent streptoccocus pneumoniae vaccine trial, so someone is still working on improving pneumonia protection.
You have to be healthy and in a certain age group (no more than 49) and never been vaccinated against pneumonia before. It would, I expect, be a current vaccine which has had more strains added to it, with the intent being to see how well people develop an immune response. . Probably one of the safer kinds of trials, but one for which I'm not eligible in any way!
I recently got the Covid and flu shots. I need my Shingrix, second injection. Because of a flare, my rheumy advised me to 'level out' with pred and TCZ and wait until January for Shingrix. I have no reactions to any of the vaccines.
You'll know when your body has settled down...as wiser ones than I have said...that might be the right time.💞
Thank you Grammy80. Yes that was very good advice. I think listening to our bodies is the only thing that we can do these days. My best wishes to you 💐
Go for it. I contracted pneumonia, then pleurisy, and a nurse told me recently that I would have been in a dangerous position if I had not been vaccinated. It’s not live, should not interfere with your PMR and you seem to respond well to vaccinations. Deep breaths, good luck and on you go! ❤️
Thank you Thelmarina 🙏! I'm a great believer in the benefits of hindsight- my own or other peoples! That is very helpful - albeit hard to hear! Thankfully you had your vaccination to protect you.You sound very motivating 😃! I could do with more of that attitude behind me some days. Thank you ❤
I had mine in the summer with no after effects at all.
I fell seriously ill with pneumonia in 2017 and I’m pretty sure that played a part in me developing PMR in 2018 so anything that reduces the likelihood of getting it again or at least mitigating its effects seems like a good idea to me.
I'm hearing you! Thank you for your reply. That is another powerful message that motivates me to press on and get it done.
I'm sorry to hear that you were so poorly. It must have been a shock to recover from being so ill only to discover that you had gone on to develop a chronic illness. Who knows why PMR develops 😔! Mine came on suddenly after the death of my niece. She had a two year battle with cancer and lost. The whole family were utterly devastated 💔! We've all been affected in one way or another. Take care.
Hi Elsoeth it is a pneumococcal vaccine there are 2 of them and both are not live vaccines. They are derived from the outer mucus (polysaccharide) coating of some of the variants of Strep pneumonia that cause pneumonia. Vaccines offered are either Pneumovax or Prevenar. There are guidelines on which one to give first. I would definitely recommend having the vaccine.
Prevenar20 covers the 20 main disease causing variants it confers long lasting protection of at least 5 yrs. may be longer now as not as up to date with the data. Pneumovax covers 3 more but the vaccine doesn’t induce as strong and long lasting immune response.
Pneumonia can cause long lasting damage to one’s lungs, and is definitely to be avoided.
Thank you for that Heron82. They both sound like powerful vaccinations! All this information is very helpful for me. I will need to find out which vaccination it is that I am having. Best wishes to you
Hello, Elispeth. I jad the pneumonia vaccine several years ago. No problems with it what so ever! For me it is one of the best health decusions thst I have made. I am prone to pneumonia and orevious to the vaccine was ill every year at some point. Since the vaccine, no more pneumonia.
Hi Glennda. Thank you for that information. It is good to hear that it has made a great difference in your life. I am definitely going to go ahead with it now. Everybody's replies have all been one hundred percent positive. Take care and best wishes to you.
I live in Cyprus. I was offered the pneumonia vaccination two years ago, when I was one year into PMR. It's a life time cover vac. Very pleased I had it and I had no reaction at all.
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