World Pneumonia Day 2022 is on November 12. The Vaccine Foundation for People, Department of Disease Control (DDC), National Vaccine Institute (NVI), and Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of Thailand (PIDST), joined together to announce Thailand's readiness and preparation to help prevent pneumonia following the COVID-19 pandemic. This coincides with raising awareness about pneumonia and promoting vaccinations to reduce its severity and prevent deaths with the support of the private sector, including Pfizer, GSK, MSD, and Sanofi, strengthening a public-private partnership to promote good health among Thai people.
Pneumonia is a major global public health problem and a key cause of death in children and the elderly worldwide. More than two million children under five years old die from pneumonia every year around the world. In Thailand, pneumonia is one of the top five diseases of acute respiratory infection annually and mortalities are increasing.
Dr. Manit Teeratantikanont, Chairman of the Vaccine Foundation for People, said that the foundation has expressed its clear intent to boost immunity to contribute to a better quality of life for Thais. "On the occasion of World Pneumonia Day, which is held on November 12 every year by the World Health Organization (WHO), the foundation has joined forces with both public and private partner networks to ensure that Thailand is ready to prevent pneumonia following the COVID-19 outbreak. This coincides with raising public awareness about pneumonia, which is one of the leading causes of infection-related deaths and prioritizing proper prevention and treatment of the disease. This includes getting policymakers prepared for vaccinations, an effective and important tool for saving lives. Thanks to cooperation among all sectors, this will be the cornerstone to success in promoting good health among Thais and keeping them safe from this disease," he said.
Dr. Sopon Iamsirithaworn, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Ministry of Public Health, unveiled guidelines and policies for the surveillance, prevention and control of pneumonia in Thailand, noting that the department recognizes the importance of minimizing burden of diseases and health hazards in Thailand during the cool season, especially communicable respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. "In addition to COVID-19 surveillance, the DDC has closely monitored the trend of pneumonia patients and is well prepared to contain to the spread of the disease. A booster dose is recommended to enhance people's immune systems before a spike of COVID-19 cases in the cool season. DDC has, therefore, issued a warning notice to local authorities, including the 12 Disease Prevention and Control Offices and the Urban Disease Prevention and Control Institute, so they can work with relevant agencies in their areas to prepare measures for prevention, control, and response to the diseases. Once a communicable disease outbreak is detected, the Surveillance and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) will start a prompt investigation and implement necessary control measures, as well as risk communication to the affected population and the public," he said.
Dr. Nakorn Premsri, Director of the National Vaccine Institute, talked about vaccine administration protocols to prevent pneumonia, highlighting how it is one of the leading causes of death and hospitalization among the elderly and kids under five years of age in Thailand. "Having overcome the COVID-19 outbreak, the country is also capable of handling and preventing pneumonia to reduce its morbidity rate. Pneumonia can be prevented with vaccines as the cornerstone of an efficient healthcare system and as an effective tool to protect against infections. This will reduce the severity of the disease and prevent deaths. Among the major vaccines are influenza (flu) vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines, which are currently available in Thailand free of charge, and pneumococcal vaccine, which is set to be added to the Ministry of Public Health's list of basic vaccines for children in the future, which will strengthen access to essential childhood vaccinations," he said.
In preparation for the prevention of pneumonia post-COVID, Associate Professor (Special) Dr. Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, a senior expert with the National Vaccine Committee, said that pneumonia is a respiratory infection caused by a variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. "Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common cause of infection and also the most prevalent during the rainy and cool seasons, is transmitted from person to person through direct breathing into the lungs, blood infection, choking when food or liquid is breathed into the airways or lungs instead of being swallowed, and direct contact with secretions from an infected person. General symptoms include fever or chills, a cough with greenish phlegm, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, nausea and vomiting or diarrhea, as well as depressive symptoms. Measures to prevent pneumonia include frequently washing your hands, keeping yourself clean and hygienic, avoiding crowded places or areas with high air pollution, and most importantly, getting the pneumococcal vaccination to boost your immunity," he explained.
"Pneumonia is most likely to occur in young children below five years old, who generally have the highest rates of death from the disease. If left untreated, pneumonia can spread from the lungs into the bloodstream, leading to meningitis and death. Effective prevention measures include staying healthy, avoiding direct contact with an infected patient, and getting vaccinated. Vaccination is especially recommended for those who tend to be most at risk of contracting pneumonia, which includes young children, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system, because 'prevention is better than cure,'" added Assoc. Prof. (Special) Dr. Tawee.
The current snapshot of pneumonia, excluding COVID-19 infections in Thailand, found that from January 1 to October 31, 2022, there were 179,211 cases and 176 deaths, with most cases observed in August and September (Pneumonia Situation Report, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health).