Pneumococci what is it

Pneumococci are among the most common causes of bacterial infections in children. They typically reside in the throat or nose. They cause upper respiratory tract infections (acute otitis media, sinusitis), bronchitis, and pneumonia, and in some cases, can cause severe, life-threatening invasive infections.

What do pneumococci cause?

Bacteria, breaking through protective barriers, enter the blood, causing: sepsis – a generalized infection with severe symptoms affecting many organs, meningitis, pneumonia or arthritis.

Children under 5 years of age are most vulnerable to diseases caused by pneumococci because their immune systems are not yet sufficiently developed.

How can you get infected with pneumococci?

Infection most often occurs through droplets or direct contact with a carrier or an infected person. Pneumococci are extremely virulent bacteria, resistant to various groups of antibiotics. This is a significant problem, which has recently been growing dangerously. The risk of infection among children increases significantly in large gatherings, such as nurseries and preschools, or other places where children gather in large groups and basic precautions cannot be followed.

Is it worth getting vaccinated against pneumococci?

Because this bacterium is common and contact with it is unavoidable, the only way to prevent infection is vaccination.

Vaccines protect against infection with 13 types of pneumococci, which most often cause invasive diseases.

Studies show that the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease, pneumonia, and otitis media has decreased among children who have been vaccinated.

In countries where vaccination is mandatory, the effects are even better because vaccines also protect against carriage, which limits the spread of infection.

Pneumococcal vaccination