Protect Your Child from Pneumonia this Winter

VIJAYAWADA: As pneumonia is emerging as a major risk factor often proving fatal in the case of children below five years of age, health officials and paediatricians are highlighting the importance of vaccination and other preventive measures to be taken by parents during the winter season.

“Pneumonia is an acute respiratory disease in which lungs are infected by bacteria, virus, fungus or parasites. Recent reports of the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that streptococcus pneumonia is the prime cause for the hospitalisation and death of many children below five years of age. As per WHO statistics, around 1,20,000 deaths of children under five were caused due to pneumonia and a child dies every minute from pneumonia in India,” explained PSN Murthy, secretary, Vijayawada branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP).

Infants, neonates, premature babies aged 24-59 months with underdeveloped lungs, narrow airways, poor nutrition and immature immune system are at risk of contracting pneumonia. Besides, unclean environs, malnutrition, lack of breast feeding increase the mortality rate of pneumonia-affected children. Experts said that one can reduce pneumonia deaths with timely vaccination and proper treatment.

“Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) are the two vaccines which prevent pneumonia. But 70 per cent of the people cannot afford the PCV vaccine as it costs around `3,500, while Hib is a rare vaccine available only in private hospitals. Infants should get vaccinated in four doses within one-and-a-half year, to prevent pneumonia,” said Dr MA Rahman, professor and HoD of paediatrics, Siddhartha Medical College.

To create awareness on the disease, IAP is launching ‘Fight pneumonia and save a child’ campaign on Wednesday as November 12 is observed as World Pneumonia day.

Besides this, the government is set to introduce the ‘Pentavalent vaccine’, which includes Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine, to prevent pneumonia. “In the district, around 3 per cent of infant deaths are caused by pneumonia; keeping this in mind, the government is planning to provide Pentavalent vaccine for free in all government hospitals,” informed Krishna district medical health officer J Sarasajakshi.