Come winter and we’re faced with the threat of the dreaded respiratory diseases like pneumonia. Popularly christened as the ‘Captain of Death’, pneumonia especially targets senior citizens and infants as their low immune systems make them susceptible and this often results in fatalities. Among children below the age of five, the prevalence is found at 30 per 1,000 children and at 13 per 1,000 among senior citizens with a 40 per cent mortality rate. While paediatricians in India have been actively advocating the inclusion of the pneumococcal vaccine in the National Immunisation Policy, very little is currently being done. Experts stress the need to ensure that both these segments of the population are protected by both preventive and clinical methods, which will go a long way in fighting the disease, which claims millions of lives every year.
Shots not enough
Pneumococcal infections account for one fifth of all childhood pneumonia caused by many bacteria, viruses and parasites. Two vaccines are now available for protection against a specific infection caused by a common bacterium called pneumococcus. While these vaccines prevent or reduce the incidence of pneumonia, they don’t have any effect on other causes of pneumonia. As Dr V.S.V Prasad, paediatrician and neonatologist at Lotus Children’s Hospital, points out: “In some children, the cause of pneumonia can be more than one bacterium so the vaccine doesn’t work. These vaccines are recommended for children whose spleens have been removed surgically, and those who suffer from certain kidney disorders wherein the immune system is weakened due to loss of certain proteins in the urine. Most colds and coughs in children are viral, for which antibiotics and general vaccines prove to be ineffective.”
When administered during the first few months, pneumococcal vaccines are effective for the prevention of pneumococcal pneumonias, meningitis, and severe throat infections. Booster doses are recommended at approximately one and a half years and then at four years of age. Pneumonia can be fatal in children if either the diagnosis is not made in a timely manner or those with severe infections.
Poor care leads to resistant strains
Senior citizens suffer from lifestyle diseases. They are also exposed to pollution and besides this, they suffer from a weak immune system. These conditions make them easily prone to virus attacks, and a lack of early intervention is one of the major reasons for mortality. Symptoms like chills, fever, cough with expectoration, chest pain, difficulty in breathing and giddiness must not be ignored.
Dr Vijay Kumar C., a pulmonologist and respiratory specialist at the Yashoda group of hospitals, says: “The tolerance threshold of the elderly is low. The symptoms may appear to be mild but they have a debilitating effect inside. Often, it’s the lack of good hand and respiratory hygiene that causes it. But good hygiene is one of the best ways to prevent pneumonia.” Currently, there is no vaccine against pneumonia for senior citizens. Many senior citizens also do not complete the full course of treatment. Dr Kumar explains, “We have found that the disease recurs in such cases. This causes the rise of a resistant strain of the virus. As treating this strain requires strong medication and most senior citizens are already plagued by other illnesses, it takes them a very long time to recover.”
Nutrition is key to defence
The disease can be treated if the right method is followed and more importantly, if it is diagnosed early. Symptoms of fever, cough, breathlessness and wheezing (viral pneumonia) or low oxygen levels in blood must not be ignored.
Dr. Srinivas Jakka, a consultant in paediatrics, pulmonology and allergy at the city’s Rainbow Children’s Hospital, explains, “Pneumonia is the medical term for infection of the lungs. In a child suffering from pneumonia, the airspaces of the lungs are filled with pus and fluid, causing fever, cough and other symptoms. To avoid this, a child below the age of five must be given proper nourishment. This measure helps in the strengthening of the body’s natural defenses in fighting viruses and bacteria.”
Also, children should not be given carbonated drinks, or junk food (ready-to-eat foods or juices) as they do not help the body build a natural defensive capability.
