Pneumonia vaccine or not?

Were you given ANY explanation about why you should not get the pneumonia vaccine if you have MAC/Bronchiectasis. And are they saying if you have either or only if you have MAC also?? Very confusing for sure.

Just saw my primary care doctor, who offered clarification. If you are over 65, you are not actively battling a lung condition, and your natural immunity is strong, doctors might not push the pneumonia vaccine. She thinks that my bronchiecstasis is in check and that my immune system is strong enough to get me through pneumonia. Doctors should be making their recommendations on a patient-by patient-basis, not one size fits all. With respect to the confusion in my pulmonologist's office, she concurred with my assessment that there are too many elderly patients and not enough doctors in Florida, so all of the good ones, at the least, are swamped.

If you get a chance I would ask for clarification from the Pulmonologist and not primary care. Primary care Drs seldom understand enough about MAC or Bronchiectasis and the explanation may be entirely different. Would be good to know for sure!

I highly recommend you find a new pulmonologist. I was diagnosed with both MAC and bronchiectasis and was told by NJH that I absolutely must get both Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23 vaccinations, due my higher risk of developing pneumonia as a function of having bronchiectasis.

I had both Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23 vaccines. The frequency is every five years for me. During this time I had some immune testing and it was completely clear that these vaccines improved my pneumococcus antibody numbers. Bronchiectasis no Mac. My question is how long the vaccines provide protection, which likely varies by individual.

Five-year intervals, if you go that route. Or so I have been told.

Also, keep in mind that it's not just about your immune system 'getting you through' the pneumonia, it's about mitigating getting full blown pneumonia to begin with. With bronchiectasis, every lung infection further damages your already vulnerable lungs, putting you at higher risk for future infections. It becomes a vicious cycle.

@scoop I had the Prevnar 20 vaccine and was told to wait one year before getting the Pneumovax 23 vaccine. Maybe others were told to wait too?
I have Bronchiectasis and no MAC, but lots of phlegm, so I will get both of these pneumonia vaccines.
After a sinus infection these last few months, I seem to be experiencing more phlegm. Wondering if I got enough antibiotic to get rid of it actually.

@jnmy Good point about the timing. I checked my records and both P20 and P23 were given a year apart.

I often wonder if my bronchiectasis is worse because of sinus involvement. Something I found very helpful for sinus infections is Mupirocin ointment (Rx only) 3x day in each nostril for 2 weeks. It should be used no more than 2-3 times a year. Last time I used it I avoided oral antibiotics.

I, too, read that you have to wait a year between the two. And that Prevnar 13 is now mostly for at-risk 65+. I'm now wondering if my pulmonologist is worried about the risk of a pharmacy clerk injecting either vaccine too high on the shoulder or too deeply, in which case paralysis and other bad things could ensue. I have only one "good" arm left (the other having been functionally withered by Cipro/flu cross-reactivity, then lymphectomy following breast cancer surgery). Who knows. Life is interesting.