Says top pediatrician

Pneumonia vaccine PCV 13 reduced infections and deaths in children

The Philippines needs to keep using a cost-effective and broad-spectrum vaccine against pneumonia, especially now that COVID-19 remains a deadly threat to the population, a leading pediatric specialist has said.

“If you are inoculated for pneumonia, you are indirectly strengthening your body’s defenses against COVID19,” Dr. John Ong said in a radio interview.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a coronavirus. Those infected usually display flu-like symptoms like fever and coughing. They also suffer from pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.

Public health officials here have been using pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13, or PCV 13, since 2014, which protects against 13 pneumococcal strains, including serotype 19a, a virulent and antibiotic-resistant strain that is still prevalent in the country.

Ong said while PCV 13 costs more than another vaccine, PCV 10, it is in the long run “more cost-effective” because it protects against more strains of Streptococcus pneumonia.

He said a Department of Health study showed that with PCV 13, “we had fewer cases of pneumonia, we had fewer deaths.”

With pneumonia the leading illness behind health insurance claims, he said, the state-run health PhilHealth has been able to conserve its resources and cover more patients.

Pneumonia is the No. 1 killer of children in the Philippines. It kills over 50,000 people each year, making it the country’s third most deadly disease.

“So, our experience shows that it’s still better if we use the more effective, rather than the cheaper, vaccine,” said Ong

Health experts from abroad have shared this assessment.

A leading pediatrician in South America has disputed a World Health Organization report saying there is little difference between PCVs 13 and 10, and countries may safely opt for either.