Following the recommendations issued by Luxembourg's Higher Council for Infectious Diseases (Conseil supérieur des maladies infectieuses - CSMI), the Ministry of Health has recommended vaccination against pneumococcus for people aged over 65 as well as for people from the age of eighteen with diseases predisposing to severe forms of infection.
Pneumococci are among the bacteria that can cause pneumonia and sepsis in infants, the elderly and people with certain chronic diseases. Thus, the vaccination of young children is already part of the basic vaccination schedule for several years.
From the age of 65, the risk of developing a serious pneumococcal infection increases, with complications and the risk of death. This is also the case in immunocompromised people or with certain diseases predisposing to severe infections.
In addition, for several years there has been observed resistance of the pneumococcus to the antibiotics usually used to treat pneumonia.
The CSMI has recently updated its recommendation on pneumococcal vaccination, taking into account the availability of new, broader-spectrum vaccines.
Vaccines are the best way to prevent pneumococcal disease and the Ministry has called upon concerened resident to seek advice from general practitioners to find out if they should benefit from this vaccination.
