Pneumonia vaccine gaps found in adults with work-related asthma

A study of adults who have work-related asthma—triggered by exposure to allergens, dust, fumes, environmental conditions, or exercise—found that only 54% had received the recommended pneumococcal vaccine, researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. Adults who have any type of asthma are at increased risk of pneumonia complications, which can include asthma exacerbation and invasive pneumococcal disease. The CDC recommends that all adults ages 19 to 64 with asthma receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. A team from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported its findings in the Journal of Preventive Medicine. Some subgroups fared worse For their analysis, the investigators looked at data from the 2012-13 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based telephone survey. It included nearly 10,000 adults ages 18 to 64 with asthma from 29 states who had ever held a job. About 15% had work-related asthma. Though researchers found a notable...