Pneumococci cause life-threatening pneumonia not only in children. Especially people over 65, smokers or those with chronic diseases are at risk of it. The best protection against death and hospital stay will provide them with vaccination, doctors encourage.
Experts spoke about the dangerous complications of pneumococcal infection in adults and the best method of their prevention on Thursday at a press conference in Warsaw.
It announced a nationwide vaccination campaign against pneumococci, which will be carried out in 156 medical care facilities throughout Poland from February 14 to March 14, as part of the Pneumococcus campaign in adults – ZASZCZEP ZDROWE NAWYKI. Adults from groups particularly exposed to invasive pneumococcal disease will then be able to get vaccinated with 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine against these bacteria at a cost of 40 percent. lower than the standard one (i.e. about PLN 40-45). The addresses of the outlets participating in the campaign can be found on the website (www.pneumokokiudorosłych.pl).
Pneumococci are ubiquitous bacteria that spread easily between people by airborne droplets. Every person will come into contact with them in his life and will get some infection caused by them. Unfortunately, it does not give any immunity, so such infections can be passed through many times – said the pneumologist Prof. Adam Antczak from the Medical University of Łódź.
He reminded that pneumococci can cause inflammation of the trachea, bronchi, larynx and pharynx. It happens, however, that they lead to the so-called invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), which most often takes the form of pneumonia, but can also lead to meningitis or sepsis.
The incidence of IPD is highest in children under 5 years of age and increases rapidly after the age of 65. According to prof. Barbara Bień, head of the Geriatrics Clinic at the Medical University of Bialystok, this is due to the fact that in children the immune system is still immature, and in the elderly it is significantly weakened. In addition, most seniors suffer from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory diseases, which further reduce immunity and increase the risk of developing IPD.
Every year in Poland over 8 die of pneumonia. people. As emphasized by prof. Bień, as much as 40 percent. cases of this disease are caused by pneumococci. The risk of death due to it concerns a few percent of people in the general population, but already every sixth person over 65 and about half of those aged 75 and older.
Smokers are also more likely to develop pneumococcal pneumonia. In a group who smokes more than 25 cigarettes a day, the risk of this disease is more than 7 times higher than among non-smokers – said Prof. Witold Zatoński from the Oncology Center in Warsaw. This is because tobacco smoke accelerates the aging of the lungs and reduces the efficiency of the immune system.
According to experts, the best method of preventing IPD among adults at risk is to administer them 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine. One dose is usually enough. According to prof. Antczak, this prophylaxis option should be used by all people over 65, smokers aged 19-64, asthmatics aged 19-64, patients with diabetes, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and people with impaired immunity.
The data presented at the conference show that the vaccine reduces the risk of IPD by 50-80%, and the risk of death from pneumococcal pneumonia by more than 50%. The risk of hospitalization is also significantly reduced.
It is an excellent weapon that prevents not only illness and death, but also gives real savings, because hospital treatment of severe pneumonia costs even tens of thousands of zlotys. zlotys – emphasized prof. Antczak.
Meanwhile, a recent study by Pracownia Badań Społecznych (PBS DGA) showed that in Poland only 2,5 percent. seniors and 2,9 percent. smokers have had such a vaccination in their lifetime.
Joanna Morga (PAP)