The Charlton Centre

Most people are aware that pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can cause cough, thick discoloured mucus, shortness of breath and fever.  It can be caused by a bacteria, virus or fungi.   What is not commonly known is that bacterial pneumonia (called streptococcus pneumoniae), can go beyond the lungs. This is called invasive pneumococcal disease.  When the infection enters the bloodstream, it is known as bacteremia.  When the infection reaches the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, it is called pneumococcal meningitis. These are very serious infections requiring hospitalization.   Even pneumococcal pneumonia, affecting just the lungs causes 150,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year.

There are about 100 types of pneumococcal bacteria.  The newest pneumonia vaccine approved in the United States protects against 21 of those types.  The great news is that the 21 strains chosen for the vaccine,  actually protect against 84% of invasive pneumococcal disease.  This is the greatest level of protection available in a pneumococcal vaccine to date.  It will be a single dose that is expected to provide long-term protection. The name of the vaccine is Capvaxive and it is produced by Merck.  We look forward to this vaccine coming to Canada soon.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health. Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain, and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.