You might want to leave a hand sanitizer as well as cookies for Santa. Winter holiday gatherings are an ideal place to catch a bug, and more specifically, pneumonia, according to a study by researchers at the CDC just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study of pneumonia data between 1995 and 2006 makes several points:

• Rates of invasive pneumonia increase dramatically during the winter holidays.
• Older adults, especially women, were disproportionately affected.
• The strain of pneumonia suggests that the older adults probably got sick through close contact with children.
• Seasonal spikes of pneumonia have become less frequent since the pneumonia vaccine was introduced in 2000.

The findings underscore the need for getting the pneumococcal vaccine—or booster if necessary. There are two different vaccines available: One is for anyone over 65, or adults with chronic health conditions. The other is for all children under five.

The study should also help us remember good health habits during upcoming social or family holiday gatherings: If you’re sick, stay home. Consider alternatives to hugging and kissing. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough. And wash your hands frequently.
 
—Caroline Mayer, guest blogger