Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of deaths from (a) pneumonia and (b) pneumococcal disease.

There are many bacterial and viral causes of pneumonia, most of which are not preventable. Pneumonia is a common complication of influenza, and influenza vaccine is offered to all adults over 65 years, and those in clinical risk groups. A programme to vaccinate all children with influenza vaccine is being rolled out across the United Kingdom, and it is hoped this will additionally provide some indirect protection to adults.

The pneumococcal vaccine programme protects against serious pneumococcal infections and deaths. Vaccination is offered to all children less than two years, adults aged 65 years and over and clinical risk groups. The childhood programme also prevents pneumococcal carriage, thus reducing transmission and preventing thousands of cases, especially in adults and the elderly.