[Pneumococcal pneumonia: epidemiology, therapy, immunoprophylaxis].

Despite modern antibiotic therapies, pneumococcal pneumonia still remains a serious epidemiologic problem. Some 25% of pneumococcal pneumonias are accompanied by bacteremia. The mortality rate in these forms is some 17%, and in patients above 50 it is as high as 28%. Early toxic injury is responsible for the high mortality rate, which is as high as 13,000-60,000 deaths every year in the USA. Several resistant strains of pneumococci have recently been discovered, and for all these reasons research into active immunization against pneumococci has been resumed. A vaccine is now available which consists of polysaccharide antigens of the 14 most important serotypes and confers a protection rate of some 80% against pneumococcal pneumonia. Vaccination is recommended for elderly and debilitated persons in particular.