RP prodded on anti-IPD vaccination

The World Health Organization (WHO) urged the Philippines to intensify the use of a vaccine that will prevent Invasive Pneumoccocal Disease (IPD) and thus protect Filipino children against three killer diseases.

According to Dr. Jean Marc Olive, WHO country representative, the Philippines must "move ahead" with its immunization program by including the vaccine.

"There is a problem of the disease here… We need to vaccinate children as soon as they are born," he said during the launching of a program to promote the use of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7).

Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV), PCV-7 is the first vaccine of such type that has been developed to cater to children below five years old. It is manufactured by Wyeth.

"Previous vaccines were designed for older children. It’s good that we now have PCV-7 because children will be protected early on," she said.

Dr. Eric Tayag, PFV president, said the cost of PCV-7 prohibits the Department of Health (DOH) from including the vaccine in its Expanded Immunization Program (EIP) so they rely heavily on the private sector.

Under the program, PFV will lead the promotion of PCV-7 to encourage mothers to let their infants be vaccinated with it.

PCV-7 is administered to infants six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks after they were born. A follow booster is required after three years.

"We are exhorting the private sector to move fast because it has been the history of vaccine introduction that when the private sector embraces rapidly a new vaccine, the prices go down so fast that the government is able to include it in the program," Tayag said.

WHO estimates that PCV-7 will cost $15 per dose if used worldwide. The DOH spends only $6 for its EIP project, which covers vaccination against measles, diphtheria, and polio, among other diseases.

Tayag said streptococcus pneumonide, the bacteria that causes IPD, also causes sepsis, meningitis and pneumonia, which are considered killers of children all over the world.

"This vaccine can reduce infant mortality. So we want now to talk to mothers so that they realize the importance of this vaccine for their kids," he said.