The pediatric pneumonia vaccine is a nationally recommended vaccination, but it is not a free vaccine. Many people believe that the childhood pneumonia vaccine can be skipped and will not have much impact on the baby's health. Some people also believe that the pediatric pneumonia vaccine can effectively prevent diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis, and must be administered. So does the baby need to get vaccinated against pneumonia?
So what is a pediatric pneumonia vaccine
The pediatric pneumonia vaccine includes the 7-valent pneumonia vaccine and the 23 valent pneumonia vaccine. The former is suitable for babies under 2 years old, while the latter is suitable for babies over 2 years old, both of which are self funded vaccines. Vaccination with this vaccine can effectively prevent childhood pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media, etc.
Is it necessary to get a baby's pneumonia vaccine
For pneumonia, prevention should be emphasized, and getting vaccinated against pneumonia is a good way to prevent it. Although most babies can recover from pneumonia, a small number may also have serious complications such as otitis media, meningitis, encephalitis, sepsis, etc., and may also leave sequelae that affect hearing or intellectual development. Meanwhile, the treatment of bacterial pneumonia requires the use of antibiotics, which may also lead to adverse reactions and antibiotic resistance issues. Therefore, in general, doctors will recommend that you vaccinate your baby against pneumonia.
However, receiving this vaccine does not mean that one will be "100%" free from pneumonia. Currently, this vaccine can only prevent pneumonia caused by pneumococcal bacteria and is not effective against viral pneumonia or pneumonia caused by mycoplasma and chlamydia.
It is understood that pneumococcal pneumonia accounts for 50% of all severe pneumonia, which is characterized by high incidence rate, high disability rate and high mortality. For pneumococcal diseases, prevention is still better than treatment.
Vaccines, like drugs, can also cause adverse reactions. However, vaccines are a special type of drug, and the probability of adverse reactions is much lower than that of drugs. The reactions caused by vaccination are mainly related to the physical condition of children. Before vaccination, it is necessary to understand the contraindications of the vaccine and the child's physical condition, especially the history of allergies.
This article provides a detailed introduction to what is a pediatric pneumonia vaccine and whether it is necessary to receive it. As a parent of a child, it is best to actively receive the pediatric pneumonia vaccine, which can help the child avoid developing pneumonia and other diseases as much as possible. This is very beneficial for the child's healthy growth, so it is better to get vaccinated as much as possible.
