Pneumonia is a common respiratory illness that can be caused by a variety of factors. Pneumonia caused by bacteria is the most common, with high rates of severe disease and case fatality. In bacterial pneumonia, half of the severe pneumonia is caused by pneumococcus, and the mortality rate and sequelae are much higher than those of other pathogenic bacteria. On December 18, Sun Yingchun, chief physician of the Immunization Program of the Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reminded that to prevent pneumococcal infection, please get vaccinated against pneumonia as soon as possible.
Sun Yingchun said that pneumococcus usually resides in the human nasopharynx, when the human body's immunity is weakened and malnourished, pneumococcus can invade the lungs through the mucosal defense barrier, causing pneumonia, high fever, chills, cough, bloody sputum, chest pain and other symptoms. Pneumococcus is an important pathogen of diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media, sepsis, and endocarditis, and is one of the important causes of death. As pneumococcal resistance to antibiotics grows, pneumonia is becoming more difficult**. Pneumococcal vaccination is the most effective means of preventing pneumococcal infection, and early vaccination can greatly reduce the risk of pneumococcal infection.
At present, there are two main types of vaccines used to prevent pneumonia, one is 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine and the other is 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. It can prevent pneumococcal infection and pneumonia in 13 and 23 corresponding serotypes, respectively.
The 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine is indicated for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. Vaccination can be started as early as 6 weeks of age, but the first dose of primary immunization is recommended starting at 2 months of age, with 1 or 2 months between adjacent doses, and a booster dose at 12 to 15 months of age. The number of doses of basic immunization varies according to the age of different months, please consult the vaccination clinic doctor for details. Vaccination is recommended in children under 5 years of age because of the high risk of pneumococcal infection and severe disease.
The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is suitable for people aged 2 years and older. Usually only 1 dose is required. However, if there are high-risk factors for pneumococcal infection, a booster dose can be given 5 years after the first dose.
The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is recommended for the following groups at high risk of pneumonia infection:
Patients with chronic organ failure, diabetes mellitus, nephrotic syndrome, and some form of immunodeficiency, particularly functional or anatomically asplenic;
Patients with chronic diseases between the ages of 2 and 50 (frail and sick, chronic lung disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc.);
Healthy seniors over 65 years of age, especially those living in public institutions.
Shen Baoquan** Reporter: Fan Hua.