Prevention of pneumococcal diseases in the summer

Warning of respiratory diseases spike

As recorded at the Pediatrics Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, the number of children hospitalized due to respiratory disease, especially pneumococcal, digestive and dengue diseases increased by 150-200% compared to previous months. Many patients over 50 years old are in the emergency department because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diseases caused by pneumococcal bacteria such as pneumonia, sepsis, etc.

At the Department of Respiratory Internal Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, in May 2022, there were more than 20 cases pneumonia Severe cases are being treated here. The number of hospital admissions increased more than the same period last year. Mr. Phan Vinh Yen (Ba Dinh, Hanoi) said that his father has been treated for more than 2 weeks. The 65-year-old father was admitted to the hospital after 4 days of difficulty breathing and coughing, swelling in both legs. After being hospitalized, doctors discovered that he had severe pneumonia and right pleural effusion. Blood and urine tests revealed he had pneumococcal pneumonia.

“A month ago, my father had Covid-19 so the whole family thought that maybe having difficulty breathing was a sequelae of Covid-19. Moreover, it was only for 2 days that he had a high fever, so no one thought he had pneumococcal pneumonia. In my father’s case, he had to be hospitalized for at least 1 month, so I had to take time off work to take care of him,” Yen shared.

Meanwhile, Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City in early June 2022 recorded an increase in the number of children visiting for respiratory diseases by 50-70% compared to April, with bronchiolitis the most – the risk. very high lead to pneumonia. Besides, the situation of children suffering from infectious diseases such as acute diarrhea, hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever also increased over the same period.

Explaining the situation of children being hospitalized massively in recent days, MSc.BS. Le Phan Kim Thoa – Head of Pediatrics, Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, analyzed that pneumonia often occurs in winter when the temperature drops very low. However, the weather has changed to erratic weather like today, with rain lasting more than 1 month, alternating with hot sunny days, causing respiratory diseases, especially pneumonia, to increase.

According to TTTT.Assoc. In the environment, infectious diseases of the oral cavity, especially age-related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, liver failure, kidney failure weaken the immune system, making it easier to get respiratory diseases or make people sick. severe chronic respiratory diseases.

“Pneumococcal diseases seen in the elderly are often more severe than in the young, especially in the absence of typical clinical symptoms. That also explains why the elderly often go to the doctor late, when the disease is severe, treatment is often difficult and persistent,” said Associate Professor Chu Thi Hanh.

Treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia in elderly patients or people with chronic medical conditions is very difficult, especially when pneumococci have the ability to mutate and become resistant to many antibiotics. Bacteria continue to multiply in the patient’s body even when combined with many high-dose antibiotics, easily causing treatment failure. The cost is also very expensive, up to 100 million VND per case due to long-term treatment.

Adults need to be fully vaccinated with respiratory vaccines to enhance lung protection at the beginning of the peak of respiratory illness.

Vaccination – A sturdy steel shield protects the lungs

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia robbed the strength of 740,180 children under 5 years old in 2019 (22% of all deaths of children aged 1-5). Pneumonia causes 25% of those over 65 years of age to die. According to the US CDC statistics in 2020, pneumonia associated with seasonal flu ranks 9th on the list of leading causes of death in this country.

According to BS.CKI Bach Thi Chinh – Medical Director of VNVC Immunization System, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hib bacteria are the two most common causes of bacterial pneumonia; Influenza virus is the most common cause of viral pneumonia. Up to 50% – 70% of healthy people carry pneumococcal bacteria in the nasopharynx, just waiting to cause disease as soon as conditions are favorable. Pneumococcal bacteria can be transmitted by sneezing and coughing, and are especially contagious in confined spaces. The prevalence of pneumococcal disease is concentrated in the group under 5 years old and is especially high in the elderly group and people with chronic underlying diseases.

“Normal, pneumococcal and Hib bacteria residing in the upper respiratory tract do not cause disease (parasitic bacteria). But when the resistance in young children and the elderly is reduced, combined with the damaged airway mucosa after an upper respiratory tract infection, these bacteria easily penetrate and attack the lungs, causing damage. severe, respiratory failure, leading to mechanical ventilation, even death, or causing meningitis and sepsis – diseases with very high mortality rates, “said Dr. Bach Thi Chinh.

According to the US CDC statistics, 1 in 20 people with pneumococcal pneumonia will die. Complications of pneumonia can lead to pericarditis, edema, atelectasis, and accumulation of pus in the lungs. This mortality rate is higher with pneumococcal meningitis (1 in 6 adults and 1 in 12 children die). Survivors suffer from long-term sequelae such as amputation due to sepsis; deafness or mental retardation due to brain damage; ear infections; Sinusitis…

Alarmingly, along with respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, nasopharyngitis, otitis media, meningitis, … caused by pneumococcal disease, digestive diseases such as acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus, typhoid, cholera and diarrhea caused by pneumococcus and Seasonal infectious diseases such as dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease are on the rise, plus environmental pollution, antibiotic resistance, post-Covid-19 concerns make cases more and more complicated. focus on the respiratory system, wreaking havoc on the lungs, causing health failure, complications and death if not prevented and treated promptly.

Vaccinating fully and on time is the best solution to enhance resistance and comprehensive protection against dangerous pathogens. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that vaccination is the wisest financial investment – with every $1 invested in immunization saving $16 in health care costs, while increase economic productivity.

BS.CKI Bach Thi Chinh said that to protect the lungs, it is necessary to prevent the entry of dangerous agents such as pneumococcal bacteria, Hib bacteria and influenza viruses. There are a number of vaccines that can prevent this risk in Vietnam such as Prevenar 13 (Belgium) and Synflorix (Belgium) vaccines against pneumococcal disease causing pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis, and pneumonia. middle ear in children and adults, especially in elderly people with weakened immune systems.

In addition, the new generation influenza vaccine and vaccines such as 5-in-1, 6-in-1, Quimi-Hib vaccine against Hib bacteria, Boostrix and Adacel vaccines against Pertussis – Diphtheria – Tetanus can also prevent pneumonia and dangerous complications of pneumonia.

“It will be very difficult for us to live in an environment that is completely free from infection and without contact with sick people. Vaccines are the great invention of mankind to protect people from disease. In addition to vaccination against respiratory diseaseEveryone needs to increase their resistance by drinking enough water, sleeping enough, eating well, exercising and doing sports,” noted BS.CKI Bach Thi Chinh.

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