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Don't Die of F****** Pneumonia

One of my cousins was recently admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, and went straight into the ICU. People tend to ignore pneumonia, or minimize its seriousness. You might have even heard people talking about “walking pneumonia”. That, in technical terms, is BS. Pneumonia is a badass illness. According to Centers for Disease Control, 53,000 people died of pneumonia last year.
For those of us over 65, vaccinations are recommended, with the usual exceptions for certain conditions. And it is recommended for many under 65 with certain conditions. There are two different vaccines that cover different strains. You need both shots. Of course it isn’t foolproof. The vaccines aren’t 100% effective, and new strains emerge. Still, there is no reason to get seriously ill from a strain that a vax would have likely prevented.

If you are over 65 and haven’t had the shots, go see your doc. Don’t screw around. And if you are younger, check with your parents, other relatives and friends to make sure they’ve gotten the shots.

It’s likely that a lot of those 53,000 didn’t have to die.

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