Senior citizens receive protection from pneumonia
As part of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Expanded Program on Immunization, a total of 3,500 senior citizens were recently given free vaccination against pneumonia in Calasiao, Pangasinan and Bago City, Negros Occidental – two model local government units which demonstrated strong local government support in implementing the government’s immunization program.
To prevent the spread of the pneumonia infection among the elderly, pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) was given to adults aged 60 years and above who are prone to agerelated impairment of the immune system.
Dr. Ronia Aragon, a medical specialist and development management officer V of DOH Region I, said that the government advocates protection against pneumonia because it can lead to serious illness. Pneumonia remains one of the top five leading causes of deaths in the Philippines, according to the DOH.1
“We should get protection and the most effective way to combat pneumonia is through vaccination. All senior citizens should get immunized,” Aragon said in her lecture during the event held at Calasiao Sports Complex in Pangasinan.
John Lee Gacusan, senior head program officer of the DOH Region I, noted that vaccination among the elderly is provided in Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
Calasiao Mayor Armand Bauzon, for his part, thanked the DOH for supporting the health programs of the municipal government, particularly for the senior citizens.
“We have already tripled the budget of the municipal health office. Every year, we increase it because we believe we should give attention to people’s health, including the senior citizens,” he added.
Nona Obando, head nurse of the city health office of Bago City, said that in the past years, pneumonia persisted as one of the top causes of deaths among elderly and children in the city.
“When the free vaccines from the DOH arrived, cases of pneumonia have dropped in Bago City,” she said.
Obando said that at first, the elderly in Bago feared immunization because they believed that getting an ‘injection’ will cause pain, but after they were informed of its benefits, many responded positively.
“In the end, they availed of the free immunization. They started going to our health center to get vaccinated,” she said, adding that so far, there were no negative reactions observed among those given the anti-pneumonia vaccines.
City officials of Bago showed support for the DOH’s Expanded Program on Immunization by holding their own vaccination activity at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center.
Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo, who came with Vice Mayor Ramon Torres and Leah Garbanzos from the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), said that the city government is one with the national government in its goal to promote the health of senior citizens in the city.
“It is a tragedy that diseases like pneumonia can be prevented but many people have still yet to avail of the healthcare benefits of vaccination. We strongly encourage the elderly to take advantage of the free anti-pneumonia vaccine given by the government and help ensure that they lead healthier lives,” said Garbanzos, chairwoman of OSCA in Bago City.
Two senior citizens from Bago City who received PPSV said that they are thankful to the government for the free vaccination because they could not afford to pay for the anti-pneumonia vaccine themselves.
In private clinics, the cost of one dose of pneumonia vaccine ranges from P4,000 to P5,000.
Marietta, 66, said it was the first time she was immunized against pneumonia, and she was glad to be protected.
Another beneficiary, Josephine, 62, added that she believes she will get protection from infection and will live a better life.
The elderly is vulnerable because of their weakened immune systems and other risk factors concomitant with ageing. The DOH’s Expanded Pneumococcal Immunization Program covers all senior citizens aged 60 to 65 years old.
Pangasinan and Negros Occidental are two of the provinces and key cities across the country that proactively implement local programs in support of vaccination.