'3rd Leading Cause of Death' Pneumonia... Prevent It with Pneumococcal Vaccination

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs, vaccination rates for other vaccines are declining. In particular, the need for pneumococcal vaccination, which can prevent pneumonia?the third leading cause of death in South Korea?is emerging.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 31st, pneumonia was the third leading cause of death in South Korea as of 2018, indicating its high risk. Especially for the elderly aged 65 and over, invasive pneumococcal diseases caused by pneumococcus (such as pneumonia accompanied by bacteremia, meningitis, and endocarditis) are fatal. If it progresses to bacteremia or meningitis, the fatality rate rises to 60-80%.

On the other hand, while 95.6% of adults aged 18 and over have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination rates for other adult vaccines have significantly decreased. In the first quarter of last year, the market size for shingles vaccines dropped by 44.5% compared to the same period in 2019, and the pneumococcal vaccine coverage rate at public health centers, which usually maintained around 70%, fell to about one-quarter of the previous year in 2020. This is believed to be due to reduced visits to hospitals and clinics as outdoor activities decreased and personal hygiene became more thorough amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the focus on COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, the burden of personal vaccination costs due to decreased household income is also presumed to have played a role.

However, since pneumonia is highly dangerous, active preventive vaccination such as pneumococcal vaccination is essential. From age 50, many people have chronic diseases, and since those with chronic diseases are at higher risk for various infectious diseases, vaccination is especially necessary. The elderly aged 65 and over, children under 2 years old, immunocompromised individuals, and adults with comorbidities are known to be at high risk.

If infected with pneumococcus, even with antibiotic therapy, the disease can progress to invasive pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, which have a high risk of death. Moreover, the number of pneumococcal strains resistant to antibiotics is increasing, making it highly necessary to prevent infection through vaccination in advance. Since the introduction of the polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine, not only has there been a decrease in invasive pneumococcal infections, but also a reduction in antibiotic resistance rates has been reported.

Accordingly, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has been conducting a national immunization program that provides free pneumococcal 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) to seniors aged 65 and over at public health centers or designated hospitals and clinics. The pneumococcal vaccine has no restrictions on the interval with the COVID-19 vaccine, so it can be administered independently, making vaccination very convenient. Additionally, it can be administered simultaneously with the influenza vaccine, so seniors aged 65 and over participating in the national influenza vaccination program can conveniently receive both vaccines together.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.