SHOULD YOU PAY £70 FOR PNEUMONIA JAB?

WHAT can you do to protect yourself against pneumonia? First and foremost, says Dr Richard Russell, a consultant chest physician and medical director of the British Lung Foundation, it’s important to have the flu vaccine, as this helps to protect the immune system (as well as reducing the risk of getting flu).

But what about the pneumonia jab? This is not free to everyone. So, should you pay to have it (at a High Street chemist such as Boots)? ‘The risk of young and middle-aged adults dying of pneumonia is tiny,’ says Dr Tim Peto, a professor of medicine at the University of Oxford. ‘The only real risk is in babies and older people.’ Yet ironically, the jab is most effective in healthy people. ‘It reduces the risk of pneumonia in people with a healthy immune system by around 75 per cent, while for frailer people over 65 and those with chronic conditions, protection is around 45 per cent,’ says Dr Russell.

‘But,’ he adds, ‘it’s still worth having, as there’s a huge bonus for frail people or those with chronic illness. It effectively provides protection against sepsis, a highrisk type of blood poisoning that is most commonly caused by pneumonia.’

For those who don’t get it on the NHS, at £70, the vaccine ‘may sound a lot of money, but it could certainly be a worthwhile investment,’ says Dr Russell.

Yet another preventive measure for those with degenerative diseases could be regular visits to the dentist. Research published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment reported that problems with swallowing and saliva control may be the principal reason pneumonia is a leading cause of death in people with Parkinson’s.

Patients who had improved their oral health were less likely to be admitted to hospital with pneumonia.