PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE

PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE:

(Inclusion in National Immunisation Programme): 13.

Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health in view of the increasing cost to society as a result of invasive pneumococcal disease with increasing multi-drug resistance and higher case fatalities, whether the Ministry will consider to include the pneumococcal vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme.

The Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Sir, pneumococcal disease is a major public health problem all over the world. The World Health Organization has estimated that up to one million children die of pneumococcal disease every year, mostly in the developing countries.

The disease is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. Transmission is via direct contact with respiratory secretions from infected persons who may or may not show clinical symptoms.

Pneumococcal infections may be invasive, causing, for example, pneumonia and meningitis. The infections may also be non-invasive causing conditions such as middle-ear infections and sinusitis. In Singapore, there were about 70 hospitalisations among children under five years of age for pneumococcal disease every year. Since 2000, we have recorded seven deaths among young children from invasive pneumococcal disease.

Fortunately, a vaccine is available to protect children against this disease. Extensive studies have shown the vaccine to be safe and effective. Several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US have included pneumococcal vaccination in their national childhood immunisation programmes.

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Our Expert Committee on Immunisation has reviewed this and they have recommended that we follow suit. My Ministry has considered and accepted the Expert Committee's recommendation to include pneumococcal vaccination into our National Childhood Immunisation Programme. We are following up on the implementation details.

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