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Helping prevent pneumonia

Prevention Methods

There are everyday practices which we can all employ to prevent contracting and spreading pneumonia.

Click on each image to explore how we can protect each other and ultimately protect our heroes.

Man sneezing

Ensuring good standards of hygiene will help prevent germs spreading. For example, you should:1,2

Lady sneezing

Cover your mouth
and nose with a
tissue when you
sneeze or cough

Tissue

Throw away
used tissues
immediately – germs
can live for several
hours after they
leave your nose
or mouth

Hand washing

Wash your hands
regularly to avoid
transferring germs
to other people
or objects

Fruit

A healthy
lifestyle can
prevent pneumonia,
e.g., you should avoid
smoking as it damages
your lungs and
increases the chance
of infection

Alcohol

Avoid excessive
and prolonged
alcohol misuse. This
weakens your lungs’
natural defences against
infections, making you
more vulnerable
to pneumonia

No smoking

Smoking
cessation
reduces the risk
of developing
serious complications
such as respiratory
infections and
pneumonia

Prevention Methods


There are everyday practices which we can all employ to prevent contracting and spreading pneumonia.

Click on each image to explore how we can protect each other and ultimately protect our heroes.

Ensuring good standards of hygiene will help prevent germs spreading. For example, you should:

Cover your mouth
and nose with a
tissue when you
sneeze or cough

Throw away
used tissues
immediately – germs
can live for several
hours after they
leave your nose
or mouth

Wash your hands
regularly to avoid
transferring germs
to other people
or objects

A healthy
lifestyle can
prevent pneumonia
e.g. you should avoid
smoking as it damages
your lungs and
increases the chance
of infection

Excessive
and prolonged
alcohol misuse
weakens your lungs’
natural defences against
infections, making you
more vulnerable
to pneumonia

Smoking
cessation
reduces the risk
of developing
serious complications
such as respiratory
infections and
pneumonia

Vaccination

​​

  • It is worth considering because pneumonia can be a serious illness with a long recovery.1,3 
     
  • Vaccination can help reduce the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common type of bacterial pneumonia.4
  • Some people are eligible to receive a pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination on the NHS.5 For people not eligible for an NHS vaccination, as with other vaccines, you may choose to pay privately to help protect yourself.


Did you know that as well as healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses, pharmacies and vaccination clinics can provide pneumococcal vaccinations?

Please contact your local pharmacy for further advice.

View References
  1. Asthma and Lung UK. How do you prevent pneumonia? Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/pneumonia/prevention. Last accessed January 2024.
  2. Pneumonia. NHS inform. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/lungs-and-airways/pneumonia. Last accessed January 2024.
  3. Asthma and Lung UK. Recovering from Pneumonia. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/pneumonia/recovery. Last accessed January 2024.
  4. NHS. Pneuomococcal Vaccine. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pneumococcal-vaccination/. Last accessed January 2024.
  5. UK Health Security Agency. The Green Book (published 2013; updated 2023). Chapter 25:
    Pneumococcal. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pneumococcal-the-green-book-chapter-25. Last accessed January 2024.
PP-UNP-GBR-7118 January 2024