Improving Lung Health Through Who Pneu?, a Pneumococcal Pneumonia Awareness Campaign on World Pneumonia Day
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 12, 2015 -- Pneumonia, which can strike people at any age, anywhere and anytime, is a serious, potentially life-threatening lung infection. The most common type of bacterial pneumonia is pneumococcal pneumonia, which hospitalizes an estimated quarter of a million Americans over 50 each year.
Today, on World Pneumonia Day, the American Lung Association announces a new Fight For Air Climb National Signature Sponsorship through
Who Pneu?™, a public awareness campaign developed in partnership with Pfizer, to share the message that even in otherwise healthy and active adults, the immune system naturally weakens with age, increasing the risk for getting serious infections like pneumococcal pneumonia.
Who Pneu? launched in September with actor Tim Daly, who has a starring role in CBS’ “Madam Secretary,” to encourage Baby Boomers and older Gen X-ers to recognize their personal risk for pneumococcal pneumonia. Daly, at the age of 59, knows firsthand about the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia from when his mother was hospitalized with the disease for over a week, which prompted him to think differently about his health after he turned 50. Appearing in national television, radio, and print public service announcements (PSAs), Daly encourages his peers to talk to their doctors about their personal risk for pneumococcal pneumonia and see if they are up to date on their vaccinations.
“During our Fight for Air Climbs, I see some of our older participants outpace their younger counterparts through their dedicated training and enthusiasm for this endurance event,” said Harold P. Wimmer, National President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Lung Association. “But even if we think that 50 is the new 30, the truth is our immune system weakens as we age. The Who Pneu? campaign reminds us that even otherwise healthy and active adults need to know their personal risk for pneumococcal pneumonia and how to protect themselves from infectious diseases.”
Over 160,000 individuals, including more than 30,000 adults 50 and older, participate in nearly 60 Fight for Air Climb events in prominent skyscrapers, stadiums and arenas in support of the American Lung Association. Funds raised from the Fight for Air Climbs support research, education, and patient programs to help the millions of Americans impacted by lung disease. In 2016, Daly will visit two Lung Association Fight for Air Climbs and race up thousands of steps in “vertical races” with other participants to share the message about pneumococcal pneumonia and his personal connection to the disease.
For more information about pneumococcal pneumonia, visit Lung.org/who-pneu to see Tim Daly’s public service announcement and take the online risk assessment. For more information about the Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climbs, and to sign-up to be part of Tim’s Team, visit FightForAirClimb.org or call 1-800-LUNGUSA.
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About the American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education, and advocacy. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to improve the air we breathe; to reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families; and to eliminate tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org.
Pfizer Inc: Working together for a healthier world™
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of healthcare products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments, and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments, and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more, please visit: Pfizer.com.
American Lung Association • 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150 • Chicago, IL 60601
1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) Lung.org
Allison MacMunn, American Lung Association, http://www.Lung.org, +1 (312) 801-7628, [email protected]
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