
Pneumococcal Disease
Pneumococcal diseases are infections caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. It is a group of serious infections that occurs most commonly in children, particularly those under two years of age. The pneumococcus bug can cause meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain or spinal cord), pneumonia (infection of the lung), bacteraemia (blood infection), as well as otitis media (infection in the middle ear).
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in Asia Pacific alone, 98 children die every hour from pneumonia and approximately 49 of these cases are due to pneumococcal pneumonia. Yet, only 31 percent of Malaysian parents are aware of PnD, according to the 2006 Global Pneumococcal Disease Awareness Survey.
Symptoms may include high fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck and photophobia, sudden shaking, chills, cough, chest congestion, earache and muffled hearing.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccination protects our children against pneumococcal disease (PnD).
Vaccinate Now for Broader Protection Against Pneumococcal DiseasePneumococcal Disease is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) |
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