Pneumococcal vaccine to be tested in older adults

A new study funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the US is set to look into whether or not a higher dose of a pneumococcal vaccine will create a stronger immune response in older adults.

The research will focus in particular on those who received an earlier generation vaccine against pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases and it is being funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the NIH.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 300,000 people in the US are hospitalised annually for pneumonia.

Researchers are hoping to gain new insights into the immune responses needed to provide protection through the study.

Figures show that in 2009, pneumonia ranked eighth among the 15 leading causes of death in the US, with older adults particularly at risk of the condition.

Symptoms of pneumonia include breathing difficulties, a fever and a cough.

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