Dubai doctors alerted to the dangers of pneumococcal disease

The workshop presented updated information on pneumococcal disease and its risks, as well as the current rates of infection in the UAE and the region and available methods for protection against it.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal disease is the number one cause of vaccine-preventable death amongst children under five, causing the death of over one million children per year worldwide.

Children are both major carriers and victims. In addition, adults aged 50 and above are all also at serious risk of being infected.

"Pneumococcal diseases have harsh consequences on infants, adults above 65 and the society as a whole, and as a vaccine-preventable disease, the current available vaccine will eliminate these dangers, as well as protect the adult community from being infected without actually being vaccinated, as proven by several studies around the world" said Dr. Afra ben Zael, Director of The Preventive Medicine Department in Dubai Ministry of Health. "This vaccine is available in the UAE and I utterly stress on parents to protect and vaccinate their youngsters".

Pneumococcal disease is any disease caused by the pneumococcus (scientific name: Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacterium.

This has more than 90 sub-types and causes different invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal diseases.

These Invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) include types of meningitis (inflammation in the brain), bacteremia (infection of the blood) and pneumonia (infection of the lung).

The disease is spread from person to person by droplets in the air (for example, when someone sneezes and coughs).

Children are both major carriers and victims of this bacterium and can transfer the diseases to their grandparents, causing a sizeable socio-economic impact.

Children who attend out-of-home childcare, who spend four or more hours a week with at least two unrelated children, have a greater risk of getting pneumococcal disease than children who do not.

Medical conditions like sickle cell disease, HIV, diabetes, pulmonary disease and asplenia increase the risk of acquiring pneumococcal disease.

"According to an epidemiological study conducted In Abu Dhabi, there are as much as 102 cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases in every 100,000 children under five years of age in Abu Dhabi. Now that the vaccine is available; a significant drop in these cases is expected" said Dr. Mohamed Huwadi, Consultant Pediatrician at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. "Like Polio and Tuberculosis before, children today are at their greatest risk from invasive pneumococcal diseases, like bacteremia, pneumonia and meningitis. Studies in Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia have shown that the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in our area is higher than in many western countries".

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was registered in the UAE in 2005 and was officially enrolled on the National Immunization Program of the Department of Health in Dubai, and the Abu Dhabi Health Authority, in February 2007.