Vaccination against pneumococci from January 1, 2022 is on the list of compulsory vaccinations. Until now, the pneumococcal vaccine was available on prescription. It was reimbursed only in some cases.

Contents:

    1. Pneumococcal vaccination - why is it important?
    2. Pneumococcal vaccine - what does the vaccine look like?
    3. Pneumococcal vaccination - vaccination schedule
    4. Pneumococcal vaccination - side effects
    5. Vaccination against pneumococci - compulsory from January 1, 2022

Pneumococcus( Streptococcus pneumoniae ) are some of the most aggressive bacteria that cause serious disease, including:

      • meningitis and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord which can lead to coma and death, as well as blindness or paralysis,
      • pneumonia,
      • otitis media, which can cause pain, swelling, insomnia, fever, and irritability,
      • sepsis.

The most severe form of pneumococcal infection is the so-called invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). This includes meningitis, sepsis, and pneumonia with bacteremia.

Pneumococcal vaccination - why is it important?

Pneumococci most often attack newborn babies whose immune systems are not yet developed. Therefore, pneumococci easily break the protective barrier and cause diseases that the child's body cannot fight against (e.g. pneumonia). That is why deaths of children infected with pneumococci are so often reported. This is a sufficient argument to include pneumococcal vaccines in the calendar.

Pneumococcal vaccine - what does the vaccine look like?

Pneumococcal vaccine contains a small fragment of a bacterial cell. There are currently two types of vaccines available:

  • conjugate vaccines stimulate the infant's undeveloped immune system in order to obtain permanent immunity, therefore they are given to children under 2 years of age;
  • polysaccharide vaccinesprotect against the most common type of pneumococcus and are given to people with so-called risk groups (children over 2 years of age, the elderly and the chronically ill).

Pneumococcal vaccination - vaccination schedule

Children born from January 1, 2022 receive the vaccine in the 2 + 1 schedule.

  • the first in the second month of life,
  • second in the 4th month of life and
  • third (booster dose) at 13 months of age.

Pneumococcal vaccination - side effects

There may be tenderness and redness at the injection site, fever, rash, allergic reaction.

Vaccine complications may also occur, but research has shown that they are rare and are much less dangerous than complications of pneumococcal infections. Numerous scientific studies have shown that autism DOES NOT belong to a vaccine complication.

Worth knowing

The World He alth Organization (WHO) emphasizes that around the world as much as 7 percent. deaths among young children are due to sepsis. One of the reasons for its development may be infections caused by pneumococci and meningococci.

Sepsis is still a current he alth challenge: specialists from the National Reference Center for the Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Infections have noticed that the number of reported cases of invasive bacterial infections, including sepsis, especially that caused by meningococcus, has increased in recent years.

Experts from the National Institute of Public He alth - National Institute of Hygiene (NIZP-PZH) reported that about 60 percent. all cases of meningococcal infection in 2022 ended in sepsis.

The same data show that in 2022 there were 1,279 cases of sepsis in Poland. Approx. 11 percent of these were meningococcal infections. The remaining infections were caused by: pneumococci (approx. 70%), salmonella (approx. 14%) and H. influenzae (approx. 5%).

Source: anticipmeningokoki.pl

Pediatrician Alicja Karney from the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw on vaccination against pneumococci and meningococci

Vaccination against pneumococci - compulsory from January 1, 2022

Until the end of 2016, the obligation to vaccinate against pneumococci was required for children at increased risk of developing the disease and in a specific age range - from 2 months to 5 years of age. Diseases and situations qualifying for free vaccination were, inter alia, diabetes, asthma, chronic renal failure, chronic heart disease, bone marrow transplantation, HIV infection. Compulsory and free vaccination againstpneumococci also included all premature babies born before 37 weeks of age and babies with a birth weight of less than 2500 g. In other cases, vaccination had to be paid for.

The parents of the other children could buypneumococcal vaccinewith a prescription only.Priceof one dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine ranged from PLN 270 to PLN 370 (two or three doses of the vaccine were needed, depending on the child's age, and a booster dose). In turn, the price of a polysaccharide vaccine is about PLN 80 (one dose is given). Some pharmacies also charged an additional fee for ordering the vaccine, therefore the purchase costs could increase by several zlotys.

Since January 1, 2022, pneumococcal vaccinations are on the list of compulsory vaccinations, which means that they are financed from the state budget. All children born after December 31, 2016 have been vaccinated. Children who are compulsorily vaccinated receive Synflorix PCV10. The ministry also bought Prevenar PCV13, which can be given to immunocompromised children if their doctor decides to do so.

Worth knowing

It is also worth vaccinating against meningococci and rotaviruses

Meningococci are bacteria that cause invasive meningococcal disease, with sepsis or meningitis.

Rotaviruses are very dangerous pathogens that cause acute, watery diarrhea (administered even several times a day), high fever (up to 40 degrees C) and upper respiratory tract infections.

Therefore, it is worth vaccinating a child against these diseases as well.

Category:

Child's he alth