Be wary of a traitor disease named Pneumococcal Disease

Ignorance is dangerous, especially with a dreaded disease like Pneumococcal Disease.

When my son was born, just like any first time parents, we were also paranoid on how to take care of him properly. We have waited for him for 2 years so I wanted to make sure that he will get what he rightfully deserves. To educate myself, I always ask some advice from my mom, aunts and in-laws, and I also read a lot of books and magazines and I even do some research about caring for your baby in the internet.

I have read about Invasive Pneumococal Disease or IPD which can kill a child in less than 48 hours if not detected immediately. IPD claims the lives of more than a million babies each year, and many before they reach their 2nd birthday. The younger the victim, the more fatal the disease is.

Since the vaccine for IPD is new at that time, only a few parents know about it and I am glad I am one of them. I did not think twice to ask our pedia to vaccinate my son with IPD even though it’s quite expensive (one shot cost us P5,000 and it was given 4 times, so that cost us a total of P20,000).

But the cost is reasonable since I am not that worried whenever my son gets flu-like symptoms, and the vaccine will only be repeated if he is already on his 50’s.

Oh yes, adults are also in risk of getting Pneumococcal Disease because when we get old, our immune system starts to decline. If an adult get Pneumonia, most of the time, doctors will advise them to take antibiotics. It may work for some, but the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae (also known as pneumococcus) becomes increasingly resistant to penicillin and other frequently used antibiotics so it complicates the treatment decisions and can cause treatment failures and increase the cost of medical expenses.

It’s nice to know that Pfizer Inc. has officially launched it’s Pneumococcal vaccine for adults ages 50 years old and above. The press conference happened yesterday at Crowne Plaza in Ortigas.

Dr. Julio Alberto Ramirez, MD FACP- shared his knowledge about the virus that causes Pneumococcal disease

Professor Heinz-Josef Schmitt explained how important it is for adults 50 yrs old and above whose immune systems have weakened to take the Pneumococcal vaccine.

(from L-R) Dr. Julio Alberto Ramirez,  Professor Heinz-Josef Schmitt, Dr. Rontgene Solante and Dr. Ricardo Zotomayor

The cost of the vaccine can be around P8,000-P10,000 per shot (just a guess). For a middle class family like us, I can say that it’s expensive but if I will look on the expenses that might occur if my mom or my son will get the virus and be confined in a hospital, then the price of the vaccine is reasonable enough.

Let’s make this vaccination a family concern because it can be acquired by anyone young and old alike.