Also called: Streptococcus pneumoniae infections
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Pneumococcal Infections
Pneumococci are a type of streptococcus bacteria. The bacteria spread through contact with people who are ill or by healthy people who carry the bacteria in the back of their nose. Pneumococcal infections can be mild or severe. The most common types of infections are:
- Ear infections
- Sinus infections
- Pneumonia
- Sepsis
- Meningitis
How the diagnosis is made depends upon where the infection is. Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your medical history. Possible tests may include blood, imaging, or lab tests. Treatment is with antibiotics. Vaccines can prevent pneumococcal infections. There are two vaccines. One is for infants and young children. The other is for people at high risk, including those who are over 65 years old, have chronic illnesses or weak immune systems, smoke, have asthma, or live in long-term care facilities.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Infections.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Pneumococcal Infections
539 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- A Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Reactogenicity of an Investigational Pneumococcal Vaccine in Toddlers 12 to 15 Months of Age Receiving a Single Booster DoseGlaxoSmithKline
- Impact of HIV-1 and Aging on Mucosal Vaccine ResponsesVA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- A Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Reactogenicity of an Investigational Pneumococcal Vaccine in Infants Receiving 3-dose Primary Dosing Series Followed by a Booster Dose at 12 to 15 Months of AgeGlaxoSmithKline
- A Study to Learn About How a New Pneumococcal Vaccine Works in InfantsPfizer
- A Study to Learn About the Safety of an Expanded Pneumococcal Vaccine in Healthy InfantsPfizer
- Study to Learn About Safety, Tolerability, and Immune Response of a Catch-up Pneumococcal Vaccine in Children and AdolescentsPfizer
Research already completed
- PCV24 Clinical Trial in Infants and Young Children Aged 2 Months (Minimum 6 Weeks) to 71 MonthsReinovax Biologics Co., LTD
- Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid Susceptibility in Acute Community-acquired Pneumonia Requiring Intensive Care ManagementCentre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Toulon La Seyne sur Mer
- Revaccination With PPS23 Boosted or Not by PCV13 in Splenectomised Patients.Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
- Experimental Human Pneumococcal Challenge With SPN3Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
- Surveillance of Invasive Pneumococcal Infections in Adults (Excluding Meningitis)University Hospital, Limoges
- Prevalence and Serotype Distribution of Streptococcus Pneumoniae in Healthy Vietnamese Children From 6 Months to 5 Years OldTam Anh Research Institute
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Pneumococcal DiseaseCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Symptoms
- Pneumococcal Disease Symptoms and ComplicationsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bacteria Culture TestNational Library of Medicine
- Pneumococcal Disease TestsNational Library of Medicine
- Tests for Lung DiseaseNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Treatments and Therapies
- Antibiotics: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Pneumococcal Disease: Causes and How It SpreadsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Pneumococcal VaccinationCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics and Research
- Pneumococcal Disease Surveillance and TrendsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pneumococcal InfectionsNational Institutes of Health
Patient Handouts
- Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine: What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23): What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Pneumococcal Infections. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Pneumococcal Infections, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.