Pneumococcal Vaccine

BettyMac

At my last review with the Rheumatology Specialist Nurse she asked if my Flu vaccine was up to date and when I'd last had the Pneumococcal one.

She said that usually, the Pneumococcal one was only needed every ten years but people like me* needed it every five years and I should check with my GP. I checked my records and it was 2003 when I last had one!

Asking at the surgery in December, I was told they wouldn't have any vaccine in until the end of January so I opted to have it done at the local pharmacy. It would've been free at my GP - but the pharmacy only does it privately so I had to pay. It was £70 so I'll be doing without something else for a few months to pay for it.

Additionally, the vaccine offered in pharmacies is not the same as the one you get on the NHS. It's something called Prevenar13 which is better in some ways and not in others. I shouldn't need to have that done again - but may need to have the NHS one in a couple of years as it protects against different strains.

Further info on this link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pneumococcal-vaccination/

• people like me - I assume to mean immunocompromised, asthmatic and of a "certain age" 😉