After a surge of pneumonia, public health expert explains how to protect yourself and your child

Pneumonia infects millions of people every year. Cases of this highly contagious lung infection surged across all age groups in 2024, but young children were hit particularly hard. Infection rates in children 2 to 4 years old increased from 1.0% to 7.2% between March and October of last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).