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Pneumococcal has been applied for many years in Turkey for the past 15 days, so there is a strong demand for the pneumonia vaccine. The reason for this is the expectation that the pneumonia vaccine will protect against corona. However, this vaccine is not effective against COVID-19. It reduces the risk of pneumonia that can develop after corona infection, but it still doesn’t mean it will never happen. The main problem arises when people who are not in the risk group want to take precautions against pneumonia that can occur. Unfortunately, vaccines produced according to the consumption rate of a year ago do not meet the demand that has increased 50 times this year. But the Ministry of Health has sufficient stocks of vaccines for infants and chronic patients. Prof. Dr. We asked Banu Musaffa Salepçi about the matter.
◊ Does the pneumococcal vaccine protect against the crown?
The vaccine is made to protect against pneumococci, which most often cause pneumonia. This does not mean that there will be no pneumonia after vaccination, but it reduces the risk. Since COVID-19 pneumonia occurs directly through the virus, it does not protect against it, but in people with risk factors for pneumonia, the pneumococcus that can develop after COVID-19 infection reduces the risk of pneumonia.
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◊ Who do you recommend this vaccine to?
People under 65 years of age and without any disease do not need this vaccine. The pneumococcal vaccine is given to people over 65 at high risk of developing pneumonia; those with chronic conditions like asthma, COPD, heart failure, diabetes, and other heart conditions; People with rheumatic disease, cancer or hematological disease that require the use of immunosuppressive drugs; It is recommended for people who have had their spleen removed for any reason.
◊ Pneumococcal vaccines are complete for the majority of those born in 2008 and after. It is said that they do not need to be vaccinated again …
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With the instructions of the Ministry of Health, the pneumococcal vaccine is routinely administered to children at 2, 4, 6 and 12 months since November 2008. Only as of January 1, 2019, the schedule was changed and eliminated the sixth month. If there is no additional risk factor in children as in adults, it is not necessary to repeat the pneumococcal vaccine.
There are two types of vaccines
◊ What should children in the 12-18 age group who have not received this vaccine do?
A pneumococcal vaccine is not necessary for children in this group, unless there is an additional risk factor. In the event of excessive demand for pneumococcal vaccine, children under 2 years of age, people over 65 years of age, and people in the risk group may not be sufficiently vaccinated.
◊ Is there a schedule or season to get vaccinated?
There are two types of pneumococcal vaccine. Conjugate vaccine containing 13 strains and polysaccharide vaccine containing 23 strains. People over 65 and people of all ages with risk factors should get a conjugate vaccine first and a polysaccharide vaccine 6 to 12 months later. The conjugate vaccine is administered once in a lifetime. The polysaccharide vaccine should be repeated every 5 years.
◊ Where and how can you get vaccinated?
People who need to be vaccinated can be vaccinated in public and private hospitals after being prescribed by their doctors. In addition, the vaccine can be administered by family doctors.
STOCKS MAY EXPIRE!
Family Doctor United Kingdom- Istanbul
My 23 year old doctor, I have been recommending to my close environment and patients to get vaccinated against pneumonia according to their needs for years. A few people a year over the age of 65 would have been vaccinated or not. We were not aware of it. Due to the misinformation that is spreading in society, dozens of people show up every day saying they want to get vaccinated against pneumonia. This vaccine will not protect us from the COVID-19 virus. Simultaneously with the COVID-19 virus, but reduces the risk of bacterial pneumonia. People under 65 years of age who do not have chronic diseases do not need this vaccine. These people are not vaccinated anyway in family medicine. However, citizens can buy it because it is sold in pharmacies. The price is around 48 lire. If demand continues in this way, stocks may be insufficient for children under 2 years of age and for chronic patients, for whom this vaccine should be mandatory.
PRE-APPLICATION LISTS FOR PHARMACIES
Zafer Cenap Sarıalioğlu, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Pharmacists
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If a patient in a risk group has COVID-19 and pneumonia, the chances of recovery are difficult. Therefore, we recommend these patients for protection purposes. Currently, the ministry has enough vaccines for children and chronic patients. However, people who are not in the risk group may also want to receive the pneumococcal vaccine. Unfortunately, there are not enough vaccine stocks for them. The companies assign 80 percent of their shares to the Ministry of Health. The remaining vaccines reach the pharmacies, but of course they are insufficient. The companies conducted vaccination studies in March, looking at the amount of vaccine consumption by countries a year ago. The same goes for the flu shot. Last year there was less demand for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines this year, compared to Turkey 1 million 300 thousand vaccines will arrive in October-November but at the moment it is 50 times the demand. Companies do not have the possibility to produce and ship 1 million more. Pharmacies have lists. People put their name on the list and say, “Let me know when you come.” Few people will have the opportunity to receive any of the vaccines. Those who are vaccinated should not be relieved, the vaccine will not protect them from COVID-19, we must comply with the mask and distance measures.
