Gearing up against pneumonia
Manila, Philippines - We may do our best and try to avoid the throngs in public places to lessen the possibility of catching viruses. But with the changing weather, sudden downpours, plus more people coughing and sneezing, the season for respiratory infections is upon us again.
Like the common cold, pneumonia is most commonly contracted when one breathes in small droplets that contain the organisms that cause it. These droplets, in turn, are propelled into the surrounding air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Community-acquired pneumonia becomes more prevalent in crowded living spaces and cigarette smoking has been identified as a risk factor that increases susceptibility to the disease.
The danger is that the initial symptoms of pneumonia are similar to that of a cold —sneezing, sore throat, and cough. But when that is followed by headaches, chills, high fever, coughing up mucous (or even blood), trouble breathing, extreme fatigue, frequent sweating with clammy skin or chest pain that gets worse when one breathes deeply or coughs, one must be aware that the infection is serious and a visit to the doctor is imperative.
Apart from young children, the elderly are most vulnerable to pneumonia. Older people may have more difficulty fighting the infection especially when they have other medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Moreover, it can happen that since they are so used to feeling ill, they are unable to notice that they have pneumonia until it is at a later stage.
The thing is, pneumonia is more common than most people realize. The 2010 report of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that pneumonia is a major cause of illness and death in the United States. The same reveals that “an estimated 84 percent of invasive pneumococcal disease cases and most deaths occurred in older persons.” Similar statistics are reflected in the Philippines. From 2000-2005, pneumonia was the fourth leading cause of death, and in 2008, it was reported as the second most prevalently contracted disease throughout the country.
“In the past 15-16 years, pneumonia is among the top causes of death for the elderly,” confirms Dr. Robert Louie So, senior manager of Philhealth. He cites additional statistics: “In 2010, there were 330,000 Philhealth claims equivalent to about P2.2 billion cost of hospitalization; 117,000 were for Filipinos 18 or older and 70,000 of these were for senior citizens.”
And thus, Philhealth’s latest program targeting the prevention of pneumonia in the elderly is significant. The program is called “60+ na ako at oks ang bakuna ko laban sa pulmonya.” Partnering with pharmaceutical leader MSD, Philhealth lifetime members (those aged 60 and above who have made at least 120 PhilHealth premium payments) will be able to avail themselves of the pneumonia vaccine at a discounted cost of P600 — a significant reduction from the usual P1,500 to P2,500 per shot. There are 122 vaccine access points in accredited DOH hospitals and centers of excellence throughout the country, but the program was recently launched in Makati City which is known to give excellent care to its constituents who are senior citizens.
“The pneumonia vaccination program is aligned with PhilHealth’s mandate to give financial access to quality health services,” says Dr. So. “Our goal is to decrease the need for hospitalization, improve outcomes, and improve quality of life. The target is to make affordable vaccination available for even more Filipinos and we invite our other partners in the private sector to work with us and bring down their costs.”
