Only about 20% of Cornwall's 75-plus group has had the vaccine

Target groups for the vaccine include the over-75s and people who have respiratory disorders or diabetes.

The number of people having the jabs in Cornwall is below the national average.

Health trusts say people need to take action as winter closes in and pneumococcal jabs are being offered in GPs' surgeries.

We've got to be proactive and as well as informing the public of the seriousness of this bacterium James Bolt, Central Cornwall Primary Care Trust

Pneumonia is an infection or inflammation of the lung tissue.

Although usually treatable, it can be a serious condition, particularly for the elderly or people with weakened immune systems and is still the most common cause of death from infection.

But the number of people opting to have the pneumococcal vaccination in the county is only about 20% of the 51,000 in the 75-plus group alone.

Penryn GP Dr Michael Ellis said people in the high clinical risk groups and not just the elderly needed to be immunised.

He said: "It's those who have got respiratory disease, heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes, or those who have some form of immuno-suppression because of drugs for treating cancers, and also for those who have lost their spleen or have poor spleen function.

"There's no doubt that, particularly with something like influenza, the number of people who develop pneumonia afterwards is very higher than if they've not been immunised.

"This puts huge pressure on hospital beds, GPs and nursing homes services."

James Bolt, a public health specialist for Central Cornwall Primary Care Trust, says the low uptake levels need to be addressed.

He said it was down to all people working in the health and care industry.

He said: "I think that it's about promotion. Health professionals when they're giving flu vaccinations can see if patient has had the pneumococcal vaccination and offer it to them.

"We've got to be proactive and as well as informing the public of the seriousness of this bacterium."