LOREN URGES MASSIVE VACCINATION DRIVE

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on health and demography, yesterday (August 10) called on the government and the private sector to conduct a "massive and sustained vaccination drive" to protect the people against preventable diseases.

In a speech to doctors, nurses and health workers in the pharmaceutical industry at the Shangrila Hotel in Makati City, Loren also urged the waging by concerned sectors of a nationwide information campaign to inform the people of the advantages of vaccination to prevent diseases.

The curative approach in medication is much more costly than the preventive approach, said Loren. "It must also be considered that many preventable diseases have lifelong consequences which range from hearing loss and speech defects to more severe ones such as brain abscess and meningitis. "

However, Loren observed, "many are having second thoughts about having their children vaccinated... But the current situation, both global and local, refutes the practicality of belated action. Many kinds of diseases and strains of viruses have sprouted lately. Some have mutated into more deadly ones."

Loren cited the pneumococcal diseases, or PDs, which easily spread from person to person through droplets in air.

"These diseases are reported to have more than 90 subtypes and are serious enough to cause much sickness and death. Every minute, two children die of PDs worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, 98 children under 5 years old die from pneumonia every hour. Clearly, PDs are a menace from which we must protect our citizens."

But while PDs are vaccine-preventable, Loren said the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) is not included in the national immunization program of many countries such as the Philippines.

"Vaccination becomes even more vital because of the prevalent malnutrition in our country. Poor malnutrition and lack of vaccination puts the health of our children in peril. Clearly, we have to act swiftly and efficiently."

She appealed to all those involved in the health industry and policy, including those in clinical practice, in non-government organizations, research institutes, and industry to work together to raise public awareness that PDs could be prevented through vaccination and that this vaccination should be made available to all children.

"The value of vaccination translates into health, social, and economic benefits for the community such that we must identify means and ways to improve vaccine coverage nationally and locally," said Loren. "Indeed, we need to move fast to prevent PD and save lives. According to health authorities, battling PDs is crucial in achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing child deaths under five years of age."

She commended GlaxoSmithKline for its continuing research in vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly PDs, as these diseases are continually mutating while past ones remain to threaten our people. "Truly, the pharmaceutical industry is the policymakers' partner in safeguarding the health of our citizens and in ensuring that the future of our country will remain bright and healthy," she averred.