The Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices

(ACIP), which is the vaccine advisory panel for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently recommended that older adults receive two vaccines to protect themselves from pneumonia. The committee recommended that adults age 65 and older receive both the Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23 vaccines to protect against the pneumococcal bacteria that cause pneumonia. Each vaccine works in a different way, and both vaccines offer broader protection. Additional protection is especially important for older adults, who are more vulnerable to serious infections. Medicare Part B will cover the both vaccines as part of the preventive care benefit.

To read the full story from MedlinePlus, click here. To read about Medicare’s coverage of pneumonia vaccines,click here.