Health Centres - Pneumovax II
How does it work?
Pneumovax II is a pneumococcal vaccine that contains extracts from 23 of the most common types of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. These bacteria are responsible for causing invasive diseases such as pneumonia, blood poisoning and meningitis. The vaccine works by provoking the body's immune response to the bacteria, without causing the diseases.
When the body is exposed to foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, the immune system produces antibodies against them. Antibodies help the body recognise and kill the foreign organisms. They then remain in the body to help protect the body against future infections with the same organism. This is known as active immunity.
The immune system produces different antibodies for each foreign organism it encounters. This establishes a pool of antibodies that helps protect the body from various different diseases.
Vaccines contain extracts or inactivated forms of bacteria or viruses that cause disease. These altered forms of the organisms stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against them, but don't actually cause disease themselves. The antibodies produced remain in the body so that if the organism is encountered naturally, the immune system can recognise it and attack it, thus preventing it from causing disease.
Each bacteria or virus stimulates the immune system to produce a specific type of antibody. This means that different vaccines are needed to prevent different diseases.
Pneumovax II contains inactivated extracts from 23 of the most common types of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against these bacteria and thus is given to prevent the diseases that they can cause.
Pneumococcal vaccine is now part of the childhood immunisation schedule for children under two years of age. However, a different pneumococcal vaccine called Prevenar is used to immunise this age group. The Pneumovax II vaccine is not recommended for children under two years of age, because it does not stimulate sufficient numbers of antibodies to be produced in this age group.
Pneumovax II is given to immunise adults and children aged two years and over in whom pneumococcal infection may give rise to dangerous complications. This includes people aged over 65 years, people with chronic heart, lung, liver and kidney diseases, people with diabetes, those with a weakened immune system due to disease (including HIV) or treatment (eg chemotherapy, radiotherapy, high dose corticosteroids), people with a malfunctioning spleen, eg sickle cell disease, or who have had their spleens removed, and people who have had cochlear implants.
The vaccination is usually given as an injection into the muscle (intramuscular) of the upper arm.
Some vaccines remain effective for a lifetime, while others have to be updated after a few years. With the Pneumovax vaccine, one dose is usually enough.
© Copyright 1998 - 2009 NetDoctor.co.uk - All rights reserved 
