The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae causes potentially serious illnesses, including pneumonia, middle ear infections, meningitis and bacteremia (infection of the blood), and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) causes nearly 1...
Pneumococcal disease is one of the primary causes of bacterial meningitis, according to FamilyDoctor.org. This infection affects the brain and surrounding tissues. The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine helps prevent this disease and is administered...
The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is one of two vaccines used to prevent infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae, bacteria that cause middle ear infections, pneumonia, meningitis and bacteremia (infection in the blood). Infections caused by...
The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is used to expose the body to a small dose of the bacteria responsible for causing pneumococcal disease. By providing the body with this bacteria, the body can develop antibodies to destroy it and make...
In the United States, childhood vaccinations are a regular part of raising a healthy child. Immunization programs in place today have been successful in reducing the occurrence of certain childhood diseases including measles, polio and tetanus....
AIDS weakens the immune system, making it essential that people infected with HIV get vaccinated against preventable diseases that could be potentially devastating. AIDS patients should consult with a doctor to determine the specific immunizations...
Pneumovax, also known as pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent, is a vaccine used to prevent pneumococcal disease caused by the streptococcus pneumonia bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Pneumoccal disease can lead to...
The pneumonia vaccine--also called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine--is recommended for nearly everyone, but especially for children and adults who have other health conditions that could lead to serious complications if pneumonia is contracted,...
There are many ways to protect your 1-year-old from injury and harm. One is to get your child vaccinated. Vaccination not only protects children from illness and disease, it also boosts their immune system. This protects the general public, as...
The meninges are the protective layer of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. The illness meningitis is an infection of this protective layer. Bacteria or viruses can cause meningitis. While viral meningitis is more common, bacterial...
The pneumonia shot is given for the prevention of illness caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Pneumococcal infection can cause serious problems, such as pneumonia, which affects the lungs; meningitis, which affects the brain;...
Pneumovax is a vaccination for pneumococcal bacterial infections. It works by producing its own protection against the disease that can cause serious pneumonia, meningitis and bacteremia. These issues are more likely to occur in older adults or...
Boosting your child's immune system can help prevent ear infections. Increasing immunity can begin right from birth with breastfeeding. If it's possible for you to breastfeed for the first year, it can pass on immunities and reduce the number of...
Vaccinations are common during childhood but they're also somewhat controversial. According to KidsHealth website, some parents fear the effects of vaccine in the body and as a result question the idea of vaccinating their children. If you're...
The Pneumo, or Pneumococcal vaccine is given for the prevention of pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Pneumococcal infection can cause serious problems, such as pneumonia, which affects...
New parents are often surprised by the number of vaccines their pediatricians recommend during their baby's first year of life. Most infants will receive multiple injections at each routine visit to the doctor, and it can be overwhelming to keep...
Fevers are a common symptom in children of all ages. "Webster's New World Dictionary" defines fever as "an abnormally increased body temperature." Normal temperatures range from 97 degrees Fahrenheit to 99 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Mayo...
According to the National Safety Council, the flu can decrease a company's productiveness due to increased worker absences. Those at greatest risk for catching the flu are older workers and those who suffer from chronic health conditions. Although...
The Encyclopedia of Surgery defines a physical as an examination designed to determine your current state of health. In most cases, an average annual physical includes obtaining general information in the form of a patient history, followed by a...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incidence of kidney failure in 2004 was 349 per million population. This was an increase over the 261 per million population in 1994. The primary cause of kidney failure or renal...
Pneumonia is a respiratory condition caused by virus, bacteria or fungi. It affects millions of people each year in the United States and children are especially susceptible to the condition. Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, cough with yellow...
Ear problems are common among babies. In fact, by age 3, more than 75 percent of children have had an ear infection, according to KidsHealth, making it the most common childhood illness in the United States after the common cold. In general, ear...
Before the introduction of the polio vaccine, an average of 16,316 people in the U.S. contracted polio every year, but in 2008 not a single person living in the U.S. contracted the disease, according to the National Institute of Allergy and...
The lower portions of the lungs are normally sterile, that is, free of bacteria. When normal lung defenses fail, bacteria can infect the lungs, causing pneumonia. While most people recover from pneumonia, it can be life threatening. According to...
Disease runs rampant in civilization. Remember the plague? Disease wiped out large populations. When you're ill with a specific disease, your antibodies fight the antigens of that disease. If you survive, cells remember the invaders and don't...
You want to protect your child from harm, and that includes preventing him from getting sick. Vaccines effectively prevent common childhood diseases, including influenza, or the flu. As with all medicines, vaccines have the potential of causing...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first recognized AIDS in 1981, when five men developed the Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, according to Anthony Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health, in "Harrison's...
Compared to women, men tend to drink more, suffer more from stress and seek medical advice less often. However, men are also living longer and their lifespan is catching up to women. Make sure that your later years are as healthy as possible. As...
Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, also known as meninges caused by a bacterial infection. There are three main types of bacterial meningitis: meningococcal, pneumococcal and HiB....
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that's usually caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. Pneumonia is a particular concern for older adults and people with chronic illnesses or impaired immune systems. Learn...
Respiratory infections are any infection of the lungs and respiratory tract. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for respiratory infection in this health video.
If your chest starts to feel sore and you develop a cough followed by the chills or a slight fever, you just might have bronchitis. Bronchitis is a condition that occurs when the inner walls that line the main air passageways of your lungs become...
