Out of 50 million people who die each year, 17 million die of infectious diseases. This translates to 50,000 deaths daily caused by infections alone, says a press release. Of these, more than 1 million are children younger than 5 years old who die each year of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).
Despite the wide availability of antibiotic treatment, 3 out of 10 children still die from invasive pneumococcal diseases because of antibiotic resistance.
Invasive pneumococcal disease can be prevented with this new vaccine available, effective for children below two years of age and will have tremendous benefits, said Professor Sajid Maqbool, President of Pakistan Pediatric Association in his interview.
In Pakistan 100,000 of children under 5 years of age die every year, due to pneumococcal pneumonia, said Professor Iqbal Memon, during interviewing to World Medical News.
Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacteria that causes pneumococcal diseases such as bacteremic pneumonia (infection of the lungs), bacteremia (bacterial infection of the blood), septicemia (infection of the blood with shock and organ failure), meningitis (infection of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord), acute otitis media (middle ear infection), and sinusitis occur commonly on the very young, vulnerable children as the child's immune system is immature and not able to develop antibodies against Streptococcus pneumoniae.
"It is a disease that takes 1 million innocent lives every year, often before the child reaches his or her 5th birthday. Even if they survive, they are likely to have permanent disabilities such as seizures, deafness, paralysis and mental retardation, "It is a disease to be very worried about."
Now, a vaccine that can help prevent pneumococcal diseases from wreaking havoc on infants and very young children is made available by Wyeth.
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, 7-Valent (Prevenar) - the first and only vaccine to help prevent disease due to S .pneumoniae was introduce to the medical community by Wyeth Pakistan.
It is a valuable preventive treatment for IPD because it confers immunologic memory that helps protect children against it.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 7-valent (Prevenar) has been safely administered to infants world-wide and can be administered together with other routine pediatric vaccines.
The vaccine requires three doses over a period of six months and is administered at 2nd, 4th & 6th months of age. A booster is then given at the second year of life 12-15 months.
"Preventing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) through the vaccine is cost effective because it will reduce the financial burden of hospitalisation and treatment from invasive pneumococcal disease". "This breakthrough vaccine will enable physicians to take unnecessary suffering away from children and relieve parents of the emotional and financial stress they undergo when their babies get sick."
The message is very loud and clear - and the message is to prevent the disease. And, for prevention use vaccination. And, to use vaccination use the preferred vaccine. And, by preferred vaccine I mean the conjugate vaccine, which is now available in Pakistan, said Dr Ahsan Mahmud, Associate Professor Department of Pediatrics, Kind Edward Medical University Lahore, during an interview.-PR