Pneumonia: a disease preventable by vaccination | Peru | Edition

Pneumococcal bacteria are bacteria that can cause serious infections, e.g. pneumonia (infection of the lungs), meningitis (infection of the membranes surrounding the brain), bacteremia (infection of the blood), and other less serious but common conditions such as sinusitis and otitis media.

see more: More than 7,000 adults over the age of 60 were diagnosed with pneumonia last year

In this regard, a pediatric infectious disease doctor said, Eduardo Chaparro DamotHe said that in addition to breastfeeding for infants and adequate diet for adults, it is also important to protect yourself by getting the pneumococcal vaccine.

“Vaccines are available and are not only safe, but free and provided by the country through immunization programs. We currently have a vaccine that protects us against 13 of the more than 90 serotypes currently available. “Maybe one day, We will have a vaccine that protects us against all types of pneumococcal bacteria and can better eliminate or control it,” Express.

Pneumococci are the second leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization. Although pneumococcal infection is a vaccine-preventable disease, 81% of deaths are caused by pneumonia. It is spread through contact with someone who is sick when coughing or sneezing.

“That’s why it’s important to protect both ends of life. “For children under 2, because their immune systems are not yet complete, and for adults over 60, because their immune systems have aged,” Chaparro Dammert commented.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends vaccination with the thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which protects against 13 of the more than 100 existing serotypes.

Pneumococcal vaccine is free, safe and high quality. The vaccine is available at 8,000 health facilities in the country for high-risk groups, girls and boys under 4 years old, in 3 doses (2, 4 and 12 months), pregnant women, adults over 60 years old (single dose) and patients. Risk factors such as cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, asthma, lung disease, kidney failure, etc.

Awareness must be raised about the importance of timely vaccination for prevention. Therefore, it is necessary for parents to vaccinate their children and the elderly to prevent respiratory diseases that may lead to pneumonia.

During 2022, pneumonia According to the Ministry of Health, the number of cases in the country across all age groups has reached 72,625, with 3,005 deaths. CMinsa National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Disease Control. So far in 2023, 78,558 incidents and 2,294 deaths have been recorded. Vaccines save millions of lives every year, the expert said.