Key to preventing pneumococcal pneumonia

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns thatAt least one child dies every 45 seconds every day due to pneumonia, the infectious disease that causes the most deaths among children around the world. Don’t forget that adults over 65 are also at higher risk, as the immune system typically weakens as we age.

Given these numbers, it is important to note that nUmonia It can be a serious respiratory infection, so steps must be taken to prevent it.

It is worth noting that pneumonia Pneumococcal infections account for 81% of deathsTherefore, extra efforts must be made to avoid acute respiratory infections that lead to hospitalization and death.

In the area, pneumococci It is the second pathogen, after respiratory syncytial virus, to cause community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization.Although easily infected pneumococcus This is a common phenomenon and is more common between 2 months and 3 years and after the age of 65.

Towards World Pneumonia Day

Ahead of marking World Pneumonia Day on November 12, Gabriela Abalos, Pfizer’s medical lead for vaccines in Latin America, warned that more than 95% of clinical pneumonia cases and more than 99% of pneumonia deaths occur in patients with pneumonia Children under 5 years old Across the world, they are produced in low- and middle-income countries.

“in this case, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) reduces childhood mortality, morbidity, and disability associated with pneumococcal disease. Identification of serotypes varies according to geographic region, age, and study period; the 6 to 11 most common serotypes are responsible for approximately 70% of invasive infections in children worldwide, with serotypes 6A and 19A being associated with bacterial pneumonia . Current conjugate vaccines have demonstrated a significant impact on pneumonia caused by different serotypes,” he stressed.

Per year, Pneumonia has killed more than 300,000 people American continent. Although the disease affects all ages, pneumococcal infections occur more frequently at the extremes of life. When it comes to children, figures show that more than 700,000 children under the age of 5 die from pneumonia every year, including more than 153,000 newborns, a group that is particularly vulnerable to the infection. The outlook for older adults is equally encouraging.

According to these figures, the disease ranks as the fifth leading cause of death, behind heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, and ahead of kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cirrhosis and colorectal cancer .

prevention strategies

One of the main prevention strategies for pneumonia is VaccinationParticularly in countries struggling with a double burden of childhood and adult pneumonia: “The routine use of childhood pneumonia vaccines has dramatically changed the epidemiology of the disease. Among vaccinated young children, disease caused by vaccine serotypes has been reduced to To a negligible extent Furthermore, studies show that, on average, childhood vaccination programs will provide substantial protection for the entire population over ten years. This indirect protection should be taken into account when assessing vaccination status in older age groups.” Mora Dr. Rice.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has been introduced in the region since 2000, and as of December 2019, 37 countries and territories had received at least one of the two pneumococcal vaccines, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) kind of. Regular schedule.