According to Arif Sarwari, M.D. with the WVU Dept. of Infectious Diseases, "The other type of Bacterial Meningitis is called Pneumococcal Meningitis Pnmuenococcal, Streptococcus Pneumonia one of the bacterium that gives us Pneumonia, has the potential to give us meningitis, now this type of meningitis tends to occur usually in older patients".

That’s why it’s recommended that people over 65 years old get a pneumococcal vaccine.

Arif Sarwari, M.D. with the WVU Dept. of Infectious Diseases says, "It’s an important vaccine too and we don’t think of it as a Meningitis infection because most of the time it causes a Pneumonia, but it is well associated with Meningitis".

People who smoke or have lung problems should get this vaccine too.

Healthy adults over 65 just need a single dose of the Pneumococcal Vaccine. But if you have immune system problems, it’s recommended you receive a second dose after five years.

The vaccine not only prevents Meningitis, but also several other serious Pneumococcal diseases. And that’s a good thing because more people die from Pneumococcal infections than any other vaccine- preventable disease.