Do you have diabetes? Understand your risk for pneumococcal pneumonia.

(BPT) – Each November, Diabetes Awareness Month serves as an opportunity to foster important conversations around diabetes and help educate those who may be at risk for developing it. If you’re currently living with diabetes, it’s also important to understand your risk for other health issues — like pneumococcal pneumonia — and how you can take action to help protect yourself today. Did you know that if you have diabetes, you are at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia? It’s a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that can put you in the hospital and, in serious cases, even be life-threatening. Adults 19 or older with certain underlying medical conditions, like asthma, chronic heart disease and COPD, are also at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia — as are adults 65 or older. So, what can you do? Getting vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia can help protect you and help prevent this infection. Pneumococcal pneumonia can strike in any season, not just in the winter or during flu season, and vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia is available year-round. So don’t wait — Diabetes Awareness Month is a great time to prioritize your health and get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia. Even if you’ve already had a previous pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, your healthcare provider may recommend another vaccination for additional protection. If you have diabetes, help protect your health not just this month, but every day. It’s especially important to help protect yourself against pneumococcal pneumonia if you have diabetes, or other certain underlying medical conditions, so ask your doctor or pharmacist about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination today. Visit knowpneumonia.com to learn more about your risk and how you can help protect yourself with vaccination. Brought to you by Pfizer.