Six months ago I was diagnosed with Hypogammaglobulinemia, an immune disorder where the body doesn’t create enough antibodies to fight off disease. The Immunologist ran a comprehensive round of labs and found I have low antibodies for all types of Pneumonia except one. He wanted me to get a Pneumonia vaccine now even though they are normally not given until age 65.
My General Practitioner has now given me both rounds of the vaccine. The pneumonia vaccine is a two-prong, one-shot then another eight weeks later. While there she asked if I had Chicken Pox as a child. Yes, I had Chicken Pox so she suggested I get a Shingles vaccine once we completed the Pneumonia vaccines. I go back after September 17th to get my Flu and Shingles round one shot. Yes, Shingles is also a two-round shot.
Shingles is another vaccine that isn’t normally talked about until your 65 but with my weekend immune system, it is better safe than sorry by waiting. Shingles are terrible and extremely painful. The Chicken Pox virus lives in your body and can reactivate by becoming Shingles later in life.
I already knew about the vaccinations because of my grandparents but had not thought about needing them at 55 years versus 65 years old.
Talk with your doctor about your risk for Pneumonia, it was a simple lab test and it clearly showed my body could not fight off all but one type. Who knew there were different types of Pneumonia?
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