Dramatic Research Findings Reveal the Pneumococcal Disease Burden is Staggering in Asian Pacific Countries

-- Data highlights the potential of vaccine-preventable public health intervention to reduce childhood deaths-- Pneumococcal disease (PD) is the leading cause of death among children five years and younger, particularly in the developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region and until now, data on pneumococcal disease from Asia Pacific countries have been limited. A study presented overnight at the 6th International Symposium on Pneumococci & Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD) in Reykjavik, Iceland indicates that routine childhood vaccination with the iPD vaccine could prevent a considerable proportion of this disease in vaccinated children, as well as unvaccinated adults. Furthermore, presentations at the conference confirm that iPD vaccine is a highly cost-effective public health intervention, based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. “While there is a compelling body of evidence demonstrating the public health and economic impact of routine childhood vaccination with iPD vaccine in a number of countries, we now have data from Asia that convincingly support these benefits regionally,” says Kenneth K.C. Lee, Ph.D., professor and associate director of External Affairs, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China. Not only does immunisation provide protection to children and infants, it also can protect adults as well. Known as “herd protection”; it is an important indirect benefit extended to adults following the routine vaccination of children, and is an important consideration in economic evaluations. “By routinely vaccinating our children against pneumococcal disease, we have the ability to help protect the broader community – unvaccinated children, parents and grandparents – and, with evidence that routine vaccination represents a sound economic investment, there is no reason to delay action to help save lives now,” says Dr Lee. One study of pneumococcal disease burden across Asian countries reported incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children younger than five years of age ranging from 30.9 cases per 100,000 in Japan to 276 cases per 100,000 in Bangladesh.1 Importantly, the data also highlight that iPD vaccine could help prevent between 57% and 91% of IPD cases in children younger than two years of age in Asia.1 “In Thailand, even though pneumococcal disease is not the leading killer, we still realize to the burden and impact of the pneumococcal disease on our children, family, and healthcare system. Therefore, we are currently involved in the need of the vaccine and pushing our children especially those who are at high risk e.g. chronic sickness or immunity deficiency” says Prof Somsak Lolekha, President of the Royal College of Pediatricians of Thailand. Prof Somsak stated that “In the coming November 2008, we are glad to hold the 1st National Pneumococcal disease conference to ensure that our paediatricians, internists and healthcare workers are prompt to diagnose and manage this severe disease including vaccinations - which have been proven effective”. Importantly, the data highlights that in South East Asia, up to 28 million cases of clinical pneumonia may be prevented annually by widespread use of iPD vaccine. In the Western Pacific Region, up to 15.8 million cases of clinical pneumonia may be prevented annually. 1 The health model for a universal vaccine intervention has proven to be successful in other societies. In the US, since the introduction of iPD vaccine, pneumonia hospitalizations declined by 39%. 1 iPD vaccine, the only licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, is part of the routine national childhood immunization schedule in only approximately 20 countries around the globe. The evidence presented overnight at ISSPD forms a compelling case to government for the inclusion of iPD vaccine in national immunisation programs across Asia Pacific. For more information, please contact Boodsaba (Bood), Pitima (Koy) Tel. 0-2718-3800 ext. 133 / 138

• ข่าวPneumococcal Disease
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• ข่าวo:eco
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