Pneumonia Can Be Prevented - Vaccines Can Help
Every 20 seconds, somewhere in the world, a child dies from pneumonia. Many of these deaths are preventable through vaccination and appropriate treatment.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages. Signs of pneumonia can include coughing, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing or shortness of breath, chills, or chest pain. Certain people are more likely to become ill with pneumonia. This includes

Send an eCard. Encourage someone with asthma or diabetes to get vaccinated against the flu and bacterial pneumonia.In the United States, the most common viral causes of pneumonia are influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the most common bacterial cause is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). In children younger than 1 year of age, RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia.
In 2010, 1.1 million people in the United States were hospitalized with pneumonia, and about 50,000 people died from the disease.
Globally, pneumonia kills more than 1 million children younger than 5 years of age each year. This is greater than the number of deaths from any other infectious disease, such as HIV infection, malaria or tuberculosis. Access to vaccines and treatment (like antibiotics and antivirals) can help prevent many pneumonia-related deaths. Pneumonia experts are also working to prevent pneumonia in developing countries by reducing indoor air pollution and encouraging good hygiene practices.
Podcasts
What Is Pneumonia?
Chest x-ray of patient with pneumonia.
- adults 65 years of age or older;
- children younger than 5 years of age;
- people who have underlying medical conditions (like diabetes); and
- people who smoke cigarettes or have asthma.
Causes of Pneumonia
Send an eCard. Encourage someone with asthma or diabetes to get vaccinated against the flu and bacterial pneumonia.
Types of Pneumonia
When someone develops pneumonia in the community (not in a hospital), it's called community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Pneumonia developed during or following a stay in a healthcare facility (like hospitals, long-term care facilities, and dialysis centers) is called healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP), which includes hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).Reduce Your Risk
Pneumonia can be prevented with vaccines in many cases. In the United States, there are several vaccines that prevent infection by bacteria or viruses that may cause pneumonia. These vaccines include- pneumococcal,
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib),
- pertussis (whooping cough),
- varicella (chickenpox),
- measles, and
- influenza (flu).
National and Global Impact
Globally each year, pneumonia kills more than 1 million children younger than 5 years of age.
Globally, pneumonia kills more than 1 million children younger than 5 years of age each year. This is greater than the number of deaths from any other infectious disease, such as HIV infection, malaria or tuberculosis. Access to vaccines and treatment (like antibiotics and antivirals) can help prevent many pneumonia-related deaths. Pneumonia experts are also working to prevent pneumonia in developing countries by reducing indoor air pollution and encouraging good hygiene practices.
More Information
- Pneumonia FastStats
- Vaccine Information
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP)
- Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP)
- Quit Smoking
- World Pneumonia Day
Podcasts
- Prevent Pneumonia (CDC Featured Podcasts) [PODCAST – 4:50]
- This podcast explains what pneumonia is, its symptoms, and how to prevent it.
- Preventing Pneumonia (A Cup of Health with CDC) [PODCAST - 3:31 minutes]
- In this podcast, a CDC expert discusses pneumonia in young children.
- Fighting a Bad Bug [PODCAST - 4:04 minutes]
- A CDC expert discusses the effectiveness of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
- Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV) [PODCAST - 4:22 minutes]
- In this podcast, Dr. Eileen Schneider talks about a common cause of respiratory illness in young children.
- Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)
- Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia (HAP)
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