Known as the "number one killer" of baby health! This age group is a high-risk group for infection

Many parents

I start to worry when I hear my baby coughing

Does the baby have pneumonia?

Pneumonia is the most common serious illness in children

It is also the number one killer of children under 5 years old

There are many "culprits" (pathogens) that cause pneumonia.

Among them, the most common and most lethal

Pneumococcus

Today, I will share with you the relevant content

01 What is Pneumococcus?

Pneumococcus is widely distributed in nature and colonizes in the human nasopharynx. Even healthy people may be carriers of pneumococcus, and they can spread the infection to others by talking loudly or sneezing.

Studies have shown that the proportion of healthy people carrying pneumococci is about 40% to 70%. In developing countries, the nasopharyngeal carriage rate of infants and young children can be as high as 85%.

Generally speaking, they will behave themselves. However, when we are exposed to rain, fatigue, viral infection, etc., and our resistance is reduced, Streptococcus pneumoniae will attack various parts of our body, which can cause pneumonia, sinusitis, meningitis, thrombospondylolysis and other diseases, and even death.

Image source: Foshan Center for Disease Control

The immune system of infants and young children is not yet fully developed, especially for young babies. The maternal antibodies obtained from their mothers gradually disappear, and the antibodies produced by themselves are insufficient, so they are in a "vacuum period". Therefore, children between birth and 2 years old are a high-risk group for pneumococcal infection.

02 How to deal with pneumococcus?

Vaccination with 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine is one of the most economical and effective means to prevent infants and young children from pneumococcal diseases!

Image source: Foshan Center for Disease Control

There are currently three types of 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines approved for marketing in my country:

Image source: Foshan Center for Disease Control

Babies of different ages need different doses of vaccination. Please see the following picture for details:

Image source: Foshan Center for Disease Control

Parents who have questions can also consult the vaccination doctor at the vaccination clinic and choose the appropriate vaccine based on the actual situation.

Image source: Foshan Center for Disease Control

03 Frequently asked questions about 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine

Question: Does different ages affect the effectiveness of vaccinations if the number of vaccinations is different?

Answer: Different vaccination schedules are set for different age groups of the 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. The main reason is that as age increases, the immune system gradually matures and the number of doses required to achieve a protective effect decreases accordingly, so the vaccination schedules for different age groups are different.

The vaccination procedures are different for different age groups, but as long as the complete immunization program is completed, the immune effect is the same.

It is recommended to get vaccinated as early as possible for early protection.

Question: If my baby has had pneumonia, does he still need to be vaccinated?

Answer: Yes.

Even if the baby has had pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumococcus, after recovering from the illness, he or she will only be immune to the Streptococcus pneumococcus serotype that has infected him or her, but will not be immune to other serotypes.

Therefore, it is still necessary for babies who have already had pneumonia to receive the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine.

In addition, you also need to know this:

1.13-valent pneumococcal vaccine is a non-immunisation program vaccine and needs to be administered voluntarily and at the citizens' own expense with their informed consent.

2.13-valent pneumococcal vaccine only protects against pneumococcal diseases caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) contained in the vaccine, and cannot prevent diseases caused by other types of pneumococci and other pathogenic microorganisms.

3. Like other vaccines, vaccination with the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine does not necessarily provide 100% protection.