Pneumonia is the main cause of child mortality in the world according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), as up to 22% of children between 1 and 5 years die from this cause. In Mexico, the vision is not far away, since this respiratory condition is considered the seventh cause of mortality according to data from the INEGI.
WHO records indicate that approximately 450 million cases of pneumonia occur annually in the world, resulting in approximately 4 million deaths, with a higher incidence in children under 5 years of age and older than 75 years of age They are 3.8 times more likely to get pneumococcus than healthy adults and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized for this reason.
“Although there are various infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria and fungi that can cause pneumonia, pneumococcus S. Pneumoniae This is the most common cause in children. Pneumonia can spread through various routes and once they are present in a child’s nose or throat, they can infect the lungs when inhaled. The first symptoms after infection appear between 1 and 3 days later. In the case of pneumococcus pneumonia, it includes chest pain, cough, fever and chills, rapid breathing or difficulty breathing,” explained Marcelo Díaz Conde, Medical Director of Pneumococcal Vaccines at Pfizer Mexico.
Vaccination, the great alliance
Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic led to approximately 23 million children not being fully vaccinated in 2020, even in that same year the number of children who were completely unvaccinated increased 3.4 million.
In the case of the pneumococcal vaccine, global coverage of the third dose was calculated at 49%, so many children today are at risk of influenza, meningitis and febrile bacteremia, as well as otitis media, sinusitis and bronchitis.
In Mexico, according to the Mexican Immunization Observatory (OMEVAC), only 20.7% of 2-year-old children, 31.7% of 3-year-old children and 44.5% of 4-year-old children have a basic vaccination schedule.
“The prevention of pneumonia is a fundamental part of any strategy to reduce child mortality. Vaccination against pneumococci is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines has made great progress in preventing this group of diseases. The pneumococcus vaccine is free in medical units of the health department and in children it is applied according to the national vaccination schedule,” said Dr. Díaz Conde.
2024-08-13 16:24:00
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