The Big Picture from SCDAA MARAC
Individuals with sickle cell disease are more likely to have complications from many infections and receive a lot of benefits from immunizations. Family members can help protect a child or adult with sickle cell disease by also getting immunizations. Immunizations and vaccines protect people from serious diseases. The possible risks from a vaccine are much smaller than the possible bad outcomes from the diseases.
Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria was a leading cause of death for children with SCD.
• Infection with S. pneumoniae can move quickly from fever to extremely sick in the intensive care in just a few hours for children with SCD. Losing spleen function due to clogging of the spleen with sickle red blood cells is what makes S. pneumoniae bacteria so dangerous for SCD patients.