|  | Conditions Treatments | Illness

The Side Effects of Pneumovax

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 55,000 people die each year from pneumonia in the United States. Because of the danger posed by this infection, doctors recommend that the elderly and people with compromised immune systems receive a pneumonia vaccine known as Pneumovax. In 2006, 57 percent of Americans over the age of 65 received a Pneumovax injection. Despite its effectiveness, Pneumovax presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

  1. Common Side Effects

    • The most common side effects of Pneumovax occur at the injection site. Patients frequently experience redness, swelling, soreness and pain for the first few days after receiving the vaccine. They also may develop a hard lump in the place where the injection was given, which disappears within a few days. Some people report a fever as high as 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Other Side Effects

    • Pneumovax potentially can cause several other troublesome or annoying, but not dangerous, side effects. Rare gastrointestinal side effects include nausea and vomiting. Some patients also experience weakness, chills, skin rashes, red welts on the skin, joint pain and inflammation and muscle pain. Neurological side effects of Pneumovax include headache and tingling of the extremities.

    Allergic Reactions

    • Although rare, Pneumomax can cause allergic reactions in some patients. Anaphylactoid reactions, which involve hives or difficulty breathing, sometimes occur. Without medical treatment, these reactions can cause shock or even death. Serum sickness, another type of allergic reaction, causes flu-like symptoms such as joint pain, fever and swollen lymph nodes. Another possible reaction is angioneurotic edema, or rapid swelling of the body. If you experience any signs of allergic reaction after receiving a Pneumomax injection, you should seek prompt medical attention.

    Risks

    • Serious medical complications are possible after receiving the vaccination. Some patients develop a dangerous skin infection called cellulitis. A drop in blood platelet counts known as thrombocytopenia is also possible and can cause bleeding in the brain. Pneumovax infrequently leads to the onset of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a serious medical condition in which your immune system attacks your peripheral nervous system.

    Considerations

    • Because of possible side effects, doctors give Pneumovax to pregnant women only after the first trimester, and even then use the vaccine only when there is a risk for developing a severe case of pneumonia. Pneumovax is not given to children under the age of 2. Because of the risk for thrombocytopenia, your doctor is unlikely to recommend Pneumovax if you have a history of low blood platelet counts. If you have a fever, your doctor also will not administer a Pneumovax vaccine because of the risk of side effects.

Illness - Related Articles