Pneumonia jab

I had been dilly-dallying for years, but finally decided to go for my pneumonia jab yesterday. I first became aware of the pneumonia vaccine during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, I was encouraging my friends to get their annual influenza jabs. While the flu vaccine doesn't protect against Covid-19 itself, I felt that keeping the body's defences up against one infectious disease couldn't be a bad thing when dealing with another.

That's when one of my friends brought up the pneumonia vaccine, pointing out that it was just as important, especially for older people. He reminded me that pneumonia is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation among senior citizens and can be particularly dangerous for those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and lung disease. Although the vaccine doesn't prevent every case of pneumonia, it greatly reduces the risk of severe illness and serious complications.

It certainly sounded like something worth having. Unfortunately, the price at the time was rather steep, so I shelved the idea. As often happens, one year became two, and before I knew it, several years had slipped by. Then about a week ago, something just clicked. I realised I had procrastinated long enough. We insure our homes, service our cars and go for regular medical check-ups, yet we sometimes hesitate over a vaccination that could help keep us out of hospital. The older we get, the less sense it makes to keep putting these things off.

So yesterday, Saw See and I, together with two other friends, kept appointments with a doctor friend who had kindly arranged for our vaccinations at cost price. I won't mention who he is or where we had the injections, just to respect everyone's privacy.

The vaccine we received was Prevnar 20, one of the newer pneumococcal vaccines that protects against 20 strains of the bacteria responsible for pneumonia and other serious infections. Unlike the influenza vaccine, which needs to be taken every year, this is generally a one-off vaccination for most older adults.

The whole thing was over in a matter of minutes. Just a tiny prick in the arm and a much lighter wallet, but also the comforting feeling that I'd finally crossed another important item off my health checklist. Come to think of it, the hardest part wasn't the injection at all. It was taking so many years to make up my mind.