Terry Bradshaw Talks About Pneumococcal Pneumonia | Interview

I previously interviewed singer Patti La Belle who was then promoting the All About Your Boom™ campaign to spread awareness about pneumococcal pneumonia. If there’s one thing Baby Boomers don’t want is for the flu or other virus to turn into pneumonia. In the interview below, I talked to the former pro football player and now broadcaster Terry Bradshaw about the very same topic.

Listen to my interview with Terry Bradshaw by clicking on the player below:

I may not know anything about football, but I sure know who Terry Bradshaw is. In case you don’t, he’s a former 4-time Super Bowl champion who played quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Now he’s a TV Sports analyst and co-host for Fox NFL Sunday. As you’ll hear in the interview he’s a Baby Boomer who has more energy than most 30-year-olds.

Dr. William Gruber, Senior Vice President, Vaccine Clinical Research and Development at Pfizer was also on hand to answer my questions about pneumococcal pneumonia.

I was able to record our phone conversation, which you can listen to by clicking the player below. We did it via conference call, so the sound quality isn’t perfect, but I did my best to tweak it. Terry’s a really funny guy and I know you’ll get a kick out of the interview as well as some important information every Baby Boomer should know.

Takeaways from my interview with Terry Bradshaw

But you should really listen in because he’s funny!

Rebecca: What interested you the most about becoming part of the All About Your Boom™ campaign?

Terry: Well, first of all, Pfizer was looking for a Baby Boomer and that would be me. It’s an awareness campaign for pneumococcal pneumonia. Being a Baby Boomer and having the opportunity to be with such a great company for such a great cause is pretty much an easy fit for me. I got to do a video.

I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to do that. It’s important to me being a Baby Boomer. I’m 70. I have an active life. I’m a rancher. I’m not going to let a disease get me because I’m not smart enough to go see my doctor. And that’s the whole point here – Go see your doctor! Because it’s all about your health. Stay active, exercise, eat properly. Go see your doctor!

So, when I go see my doctor, I call Dr. Gruber and I say, “Doctor Gruber! Can you tell me something about pneumococcal pneumonia and he says . . . .*

Dr. Gruber: Terry gave a nice lead-in and I expect you’re interested in knowing more about pneumococcal pneumonia. It’s the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. Many people don’t realize that adults 65 and older are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia compared to adults 18 – 49. We’re very pleased to be partnered with Terry to get this message out so people can talk to their doctors about vaccinations and things they can do to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia. And we want them to have an active lifestyle. You heard Terry talking about this long list of things he wants to do in his 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th decade of life and we want people to be able to do those things as well.

Terry: One of the things as I’ve gotten into this campaign you realize – you look at a 70-year old person – a Baby Boomer and for the most part, people look at us like – Well, what’s it like being on your (cough) last leg. And I’m like – I’m not on my last leg. I’ve got a bucket list here Jack. I’ve got a ton of things I’ve got to do. (He lists a bunch of bucket list items on the audio and gives his advice on healthy living)

Rebecca: What would you say to people who are afraid to get vaccinations?

Dr. Gruber: They should talk to their physician if they have any concerns about getting vaccinations. Vaccines undergo a great deal of reviews of their safety before they’re ever approved for use and actually, that evaluation of safety continues even after the vaccine has been approved. It’s in that setting that the Centers for Disease Control was recommended for routine vaccination of individuals over 65-years of age.

Rebecca: And with the flu season I can imagine it’s important to get both of them.

Dr. Gruber: Yes, that’s an important point, and many people don’t appreciate that not only is it important to get immunized against influenza – influenza can actually lead to pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal pneumonia. Influenza itself is a risk factor for pneumococcal pneumonia. But I do want to emphasize that even with influenza, age alone is a risk factor because as we get older – particularly for people over 65, the immune system weakens and the ability to fight infection is reduced. So very important, individuals over 65 be aware of pneumococcal pneumonia, talk to their physician about measures they can take to reduce their risk, including vaccination.

Rebecca: Terry you were saying that you were taking care of yourself by working out and everything. What kinds of things do you do? What types of foods and stuff do you eat that you think will help you stay healthy?

Terry: I work out six days a week when I’m home and if I travel for an extended amount of time I carry a band with me – a rubber band that I can work out with. And that keeps the muscles taught. When I’m home I lift weights every day – I do all the groups of muscles from my calves all the way up to my shoulders and arms. I had a knee replacement, so I haven’t done cardio in about ten days, but normally I do an hour and forty-five minutes of cardio every day. (He goes into more detail and tells some funny stories if you listen to the audio)

Rebecca: I would imagine that all that exercise you do helps keep your lungs strong.

Dr. Gruber: Cardio no doubt helps with your overall fitness. (Dr. Gruber and Terry discuss the difference between weight lifting and cardio and Terry makes fun of him)  But seriously, people should take measures to remain active, physically fit and exercise. And remember, with pneumococcal pneumonia, you can’t exercise. It limits your ability to be active and stay fit. Another reason to talk to your doctor to take measures to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia including vaccinations.

For more information about pneumococcal pneumonia and more about Terry Bradshaw, please visit knowpneumonia.com

*Dr. Gruber is an MD, but is not Terry’s personal physician.

This post was in collaboration with Pfizer as a public service announcement.