Question:

I just had a pneumonia vaccine today, thinking that I had never had it before. When I checked my shot record when I got home, I found that it was listed (but there was no date). It must be from several years ago. Do you think there will be any problems from being vaccinated twice? I am 49 years old and I have type 2 diabetes. Thank you.

Answer:

There is no problem with receiving the vaccine too frequently and most authorities believe it is better to receive it too often rather than not often enough. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that persons with diabetes receive the pneumococcal vaccine once or twice (if twice, then the second vaccine ideally should be 5 years after the first). The CDC vaccine recommendations are updated annually and the most recent recommendations can be found at the website listed below.

Related Resources:

CDC Pneumonia Vaccine Information

For more information:

Go to the Lung diseases health topic.