I'm not surprised - a clotting episode doesn't increase your risk of lung infections. Physically it's more like a physical injury like a broken leg than something that compromises your immune system. I did get the pneumonia vaccine but they said it was because I also have small airway disease and am on steroids which do compromise your immune system.

You can help prevent getting pneumonia by making sure that you're taking deep breaths on a regular basis. Breathing shallowly for a long time (as some of us do if we're in pain from clots) doesn't use the whole lung and can lead to pneumonia.

My cardiologist recommended I get a pneumonia shot shortly after my PE diagnosis because my lungs and heart were really compromised from the clot at that point, and I was on immuno- suppressants for a health condition I have, so adding pneumonia to the equation would make things harder for my recovery. This was like a few weeks after I was diagnosed. I think when they talk about how those with health and immune system issues should get a pneumonia shot, they're really talking about people who can't fight off infection or who are more prone to infection, people with AIDS, people on immuno-suppressant therapy, etc. I don't think PEs specifically make you more prone to infection or illness generally.

Also, it may be your insurance wouldn't cover it if you get it prior to the recommended age. Not all insurance coverages would but if they're going be established clinical appropriateness standards, to determine coverage, it could be excluded.

It may be that the vaccine is like the shingles vaccine -- that it's approved for certain ages and over simply because that was how it was tested.

The explanation that my lungs are "injured" makes a lot of sense. I have no other immune system issues so I'm just gonna wait until next July! Thank you.

Well, keep in mind too that all vaccinations come down to a risk-benefit assessment of the point at which the benefits are worth the cost. For instance the shingles vaccine was tested for certain ages and above because the chances of getting shingles doubles with age over 50 and keeps rapidly rising with age, as does the risk of complications from shingles if you do get it. It's good to ask why though if a vaccination recommendation doesn't make sense to you.