Had the pneumonia vaccine Monday as part of my pre-op for CI surgery in two weeks. No issues at all so far!
In light of Covid-19, I was curious about the relationship between pneumonia and hearing implants. I have a BAHA implant, and wondered whether it put me at greater risk with the coronavirus. From what I could find out, it seems that pneumonia can cause meningitis in those of us with implants, and meningitis can be deadly. The pneumonia vaccine prevents only bacterial pneumonia, not viral pneumonia as has been associated with Covid-19. So it seems to me that folks with implants should be extra cautious about limiting exposure to the coronavirus. Be well, everyone.
From the CDC website: Pneumococcal Vaccination for Cochlear Implant Candidates and Recipients: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices In October 2002, CDC recommended that all persons with cochlear implants receive age-appropriate pneumococcal vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) (Prevnar®), 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) (Pneumovax®), or both according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) schedules for persons at high risk (1). CDC issued these recommendations on the basis of preliminary data suggesting an increased risk for pneumococcal meningitis in persons with cochlear implants. And also here: Use of Vaccines to Prevent Meningitis in Persons with Cochlear Implants On This Page What You Should Know Pneumococcal Recommendations by Age and Vaccination History Other Vaccines Can Help Protect against Meningitis For More Information References What You Should Know People with cochlear implants are more likely to get bacterial meningitis than people without cochlear implants. In addition, some people who are candidates for cochlear implants have anatomic factors that may increase their risk for meningitis. These factors include facial and cranial abnormalities, including of the temporal bone and cochlea. The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) causes most cases of meningitis in people with cochlear implants. Due to their increased risk, CDC recommends pneumococcal vaccination for people who have or are candidates for cochlear implants. I don't know anything about the biology behind this recommendation, but it seems to me it is better to be cautious at this point in time. I'd like to hear if anyone else knows more about this.