Diabetes: Pneumonia

I am home today after a day stay in the hospital for pneumonia. Is there anyone here that opts out of the vaccines? Right now, I can't see a viable reason why I should have them. I'm glad you're on the mend, Kim. I had pneumonia once a long time ago, piggy-backed on top of the worst case of strep throat I'd ever had before or have had since. S-I-C-K.... so I understand what you've just been through.

As for the vaccines, they were never meant to try to protect you from all the pneumonia and influenza viruses out there; there are 100s of strains of them. The winter flu vaccine formulations are made up on recommendations from the CDC, who use their expertise to guesstimate what the 4 or 5 most common flu bugs will be for the coming winter season, and that's what's included in the shot. If you come down with one of the others, well... there ya go. The pneumococcal vaccine that's normally given every 10 years... from my understanding, it's to protect someone from one very common pneumonia that is a big risk for the elderly and the chronically ill (that's us, folks). No one's ever said it will protect from all pneumonia.

And anyway, pneumonia comes in two kinds, you know-- viral and bacterial. No one can expect any one vaccination to protect him from everything. So yeah, I have my vaccines. As an asthmatic and a diabetic, I need whatever help I can get.