Pneumonia has been recognised as a significant illness for many centuries. Indeed, it was the ancient Greek Hippocrates, who first described what he could hear on listening to the chest of a person suffering from pneumonia! Prior to the antibiotic-era, which began with sulphonamide antibiotics in 1938 and then penicillin in 1944, popular treatments included blood-letting, leeches, emetics to encourage vomiting and enemas. Recognition that the illness was caused by bacteria did not occur until the late 1800’s with the identification of Friedlander’s bacillus. In actual fact, most of the bacteria he identified were pneumococcus, which we now recognise to be the most common cause of pneumonia.

People in at risk groups are advised to have a yearly flu vaccination that will contain the most prevalent strains of influenza A and B and also swine flu. If you are not in an at risk group you do not need to be vaccinated unless you care for someone who would be at risk of becoming very unwell if they caught influenza from you (and they may be advised to be vaccinated too). Simple advice such as hand-washing after touching surfaces that other people have touched, using tissues to blow your nose, and disposing of them immediately are very simple but effective ways to stop the spread of the virus (“catch it, kill it, bin it” campaign).