We are in the midst of flu and virus season, but these seasonal ailments can lead, against the background of a low immune system, to pneumonia, doctors warn. This bacteria comes with superinfections that can send you straight to the hospital. The only solution by which we can prevent the disease is immunization, but in this chapter Romania, in general, is very weak.
Serious forms of pneumonia can be prevented by vaccination. Source: archive
According to the European Vaccination Information Portal, pneumococcal disease is a life-threatening bacterial infection that can cause serious complications. It is caused by a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as pneumococcus). The bacteria can infect different parts of the body, and symptoms vary depending on the location of the infection.
Pneumococcus is a bacterium that colonizes the upper respiratory tract, the intestinal tract and the uro-genital mucous membranes. The bacterium is one of the main infectious pathogens in children, but also in the elderly or patients diagnosed with chronic diseases. Pneumococcus can cause upper respiratory tract infections such as sinusitis, otitis media, otomastoiditis, invasive infections such as sepsis, meningitis, and endocarditis, pericarditis, septic arthritis, pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections.
Symptoms of pneumococcal disease
Depending on the severity of the disease, symptoms can range from mild to severe
Symptoms of mild forms of the disease:
- ear pain;
- headaches;
- stuffy nose;
- cough;
- fever;
- loss of appetite
Symptoms of severe forms of the disease
- chest pains;
- breathing difficulties;
- sensitivity to light;
- severe pain or severe discomfort;
- rash that does not go away when pressed;
- paleness, bluishness, graying or spotting of the skin, lips or tongue;
- darkening of the skin around the nails or eyes;
- confusion
Complications of pneumococcal disease
The complications of pneumococcal disease depend on the location of the infection in the body and among them are:
- pneumonia (infection and inflammation of the lungs);
- osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bones);
- septic arthritis (infection and inflammation in the joints);
- meningitis (inflammation of the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord);
- sepsis (serious blood infection/poisoning);
In rare cases, meningitis (mainly in children) and sepsis can cause permanent disability, for example deafness or brain damage. In severe cases, limb amputation is necessary. If left untreated, serious infections can be life-threatening. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a common cause of death in the elderly.
How do we prevent pneumococcal disease?
The pneumococcal vaccine, introduced in September 2017 in the National Vaccination Program, is the one that can protect us against serious forms of pneumonia. Vaccination is done in family doctors’ offices, but the product is bought from the pharmacy, based on a prescription. The exception is people who are given the vaccine free of charge.
Gindrovel Dumitra, coordinator of the vaccinology group within the National Society of Family Medicine, told “Adevărul” that parents should be made much more responsible in terms of immunizing children. “Communication with the parent during this period is one of the practices that must be brought up to date. Many elements of communication between the doctor and the patient have been developed, especially for adopting and changing certain behaviors, so that we, in turn, must be open and be able to acquire them”explained the doctor. The statement comes in the context in which the vaccination rate in Romania decreases from one year to the next, and soon we will wake up in front of some diseases that we consider eradicated. “We are practically saving lives through these vaccines. People do not have this perception that vaccination is for all ages. The information that there are certain vaccine-preventable diseases that adults can also suffer from is not fully aware”the specialist also specified.
Who can get vaccinated for free?
Given that pneumonia is extremely dangerous, even fatal in certain cases, people at high risk of the disease can be immunized for free.
Small children. For small children, the pneumococcal vaccine is given at two, four and 11 months.
Young. Young people up to the age of 18 who are born before 2017 also get the vaccine for free.
Senior citizens. the vaccination is also compensated 100% for people over 65 years old, but also for those between the ages of 19 and 64, who suffer from chronic diseases.
Where do we get the pneumonia vaccine?
Vaccination is done in the family doctor’s office. Before, however, patients receive a prescription for the pneumococcal vaccine from their family doctor or specialist. They then go with her to the pharmacy where the serum is issued. “The patient presents himself only with the compensated or free prescription in the pharmacy and picks up the vaccine. The advantages of prescriptions for children are that they don’t even require a health card, pediatricians usually send the pdf prescriptions to the parents, who come with them to the pharmacy, we print them and thus everything is much easier, so that everyone has access to vaccination”. explained Beatrice Speteanu, president of the Association of Traditional Pharmacies and Practitioners from Romania. Patients then return to their family doctor’s office to have the injection. The pneumococcal vaccine can be given on the same day as the flu vaccine.
What pneumococcal vaccines can be found in pharmacies
Prevenar 13 injectable suspension, 1 prefilled syringe, Pfizer – 281 lei
The vaccine is given to children between the ages of 6 weeks and 17 years to help protect against diseases such as meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain), sepsis or bacteremia (the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream), pneumonia (lung infection ) and ear infections. The vaccine can also be given to adults aged 18 and over to help prevent diseases such as pneumonia (lung infection), septicemia or bacteremia (bacteria in the bloodstream) and meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain) caused by 13 types of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
Apexxnar Polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine injectable suspension in prefilled syringe – 396 lei
Active immunization to prevent invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in persons 18 years of age and older.
Pneumovax 23 injectable solution, 1 prefilled syringe, Merck – 123 lei
After being bought from the pharmacy, the vaccines are kept at low temperatures, in the refrigerator. To keep the cold chain intact, they are transported in a refrigerated bag. If they are not administered on the same day at the family doctor’s office, the vaccines are stored in the refrigerator. If they are not stored in low temperature conditions but are still administered, the vaccines will have a low effect.
