‘Timely vaccination can check pneumonia in kids’

Pneumonia, is responsible for over 9,00,000 child deaths in a year. Stating that one child dies every two minutes due to pneumonia, Dr C Satheesh, president, 2017 Indian Academy of Paediatrics, said, “There are five steps to help cure diseases, especially in the case of pneumonia. To achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3.2, there should be optimal breastfeeding, adequate nutrition, pollution control, hygiene and immunisation.” 

With the slogan ‘No More Pneumonia’, the focus of World Pneumonia Day on Sunday is to encourage the public to go in for immunisation. 

“When many children are vaccinated for pneumonia, other children too benefit as the spread of the infection is contained. This automatically reduces deaths,” said Dr Shanthi P, adding that vaccination plays a key role in prevention of the disease.

“Once we control deaths under the age of five through adequate vaccination methods, then we won’t be far off from preventing it completely. Preventing pneumonia deaths under the age of five was the Millennial goal, which was pushed to 2015 after it could not be achieved in 2000. However, as the goal remained unmet, the year is now 2030,” explained Dr Satheesh.

“Fortunately, we have adequate sanitation and vaccines like the rota virus vaccines have proved beneficial,” he added. It may be noted that J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family, had in May, this year, announced the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine in the country’s immunisation schedule. 

“People are now convinced as it has been made mandatory,” he stated.