Vaccination is Best Protection vs. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that is usually caused by bacteria. It is the leading infectious cause of death in children worldwide, and the number one killer of Filipino children under five years. Adults over the age of 65 and people with preexisting health problems are also at increased risk for pneumonia.

“Vaccination is the best protection against pneumonia. Pneumococcal vaccines prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death due to pneumonia,” according to the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP), the country’s acknowledged authority in pulmonary medicine.

Who should get the pneumococcal vaccine?

The PCCP recommends pneumonia vaccination for:

• Babies and children younger than 2 years old
• Adults 65 years or older
• People 2 years through 64 years old who are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease due to certain medical conditions
• Smokers

People with the following medical conditions should get the pneumococcal vaccine:

• Lung disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchiectasis
• Metabolic diseases
• Diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders
• Heart diseases
• Liver diseases
• Kidney diseases
• Blood diseases
• Brain, spinal cord injury or trauma, and epilepsy
• Cancer and other conditions that weaken the immune system

Consult your doctor for more information about pneumococcal vaccines. Get your pneumococcal vaccine at the participating Watsons branch near you.

References:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/pneumonia#tab=tab_1. Accessed 18 March 2022
http://philchest.org/v3/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/H.-Pneumonia-media-kit.pdf. Accessed 18 March 2022
https://manilastandard.net/news/national/317097/pneumonia-still-ph-s-top-killer-health-expert.html. Accessed 18 March 2022
https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/doh-continues-to-use-PCV13-contrary-to-reports#:~:text=Under%20the%20DOH%20%2D%20NIP%2C%20PCV,pneumoniae. Accessed 18 March 2022
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/10665-310968. Accessed 18 March 2022
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/index.html. Accessed 18 March 2022