REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,GRESIK — The Gresik District Health Office, East Java has started to open a special immunization service for Pneumococcal Conjugated Vaccine (PCV) for babies aged 2, 3 and 12 months starting in November 2021 aimed at preventing pneumonia.
Head of the Surveillance and Immunization Section of the Gresik District Health Office, Nur Farida SKM, MM, said that this immunization service is an effort to pick up the ball for PCV, and officers will later visit mothers with babies under 1 year old.
“Previously, maybe because of the pandemic conditions, people were afraid. So many routine immunization schedules and PCV were delayed. So, to catch up, we sought mobile immunization services or pick up the ball,” he said, Friday (29/10).
PCV immunization in this government scheme is still only released in June 2021. PCV immunization is given to babies to prevent toddlers from getting sick pneumonia or pneumonia caused by Pneumococcal bacteria. Farida explained that PCV immunization was carried out in 3 stages, namely stage 1 at two months of age, stage 2 at three months of age and stage 3 at 12 months of age.
“We ask mothers whose babies have not been immunized with PCV, register at the nearest posyandu. Posyandu officers will schedule and then notify when PCV immunization can be followed at the puskesmas, village health center or posyandu in the area,” he said.
In addition, Gresik women can also make an appointment with the PCV immunization officer through the posyandu. “The location of immunization does not have to be in health facilities (puskesmas, posyandu, puskesdes). It can be at the residents’ homes, the homes of Mr. RT, Mr. RW or the village hall,” said Farida, who is an Undip alumnus.
He explained that this effort is to pursue the achievement of cumulative PCV immunization in Gresik Regency which is still low. For PCV stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3. Meanwhile, reports submitted to the East Java Provincial Health Office show that in Gresik Regency the cumulative number of recipients vaccine Stage 1 PCV, PCV 1 amounted to 15.06 percent or 2,990 babies from live born babies as many as 19,859 babies.
Then, the cumulative number of babies receiving PCV 2 was 8.60 percent or 1,707 babies from live births as many as 19,859 babies. The reason for the low achievement of PCV immunization is the constraints of health care workers who previously focused on handling the COVID-19 pandemic. “PCV immunization in Gresik is free.
In East Java there are 8 regencies/cities that are free. This is an opportunity for mothers who have babies to take advantage of it. If PCV is independent at the hospital, it is expensive, around 1 million,” said Farida.
Meanwhile, Health Expert, Dr. dr. Dominikus Husada DTM&H, MCTM(TP) Sp.A(K) explained that pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that can be caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses or chemicals.
The priority pattern in current government treatment is pneumonia caused by Pneumococcal bacteria. The characteristics that are most easily recognized by mothers about pneumonia due to bacteria are, the baby has a cough and runny nose, the body heats up – due to infection – which ends in shortness of breath. “Almost all of them, starting from coughing and then shortness of breath,” said Dr. Domi, his nickname.
According to the administrators of the East Java Indonesian Pediatrics Association (IDAI), pneumonia is most vulnerable at infancy or young age. The younger the age the more dangerous. “This is the opposite of COVID, where the older the more dangerous,” explained Dr. Domi.
How is pneumonia different from other coughs? According to Dr. Domi, all coughs can lead to pneumonia. Moreover, it is accompanied by high fever and ends with shortness of breath. “So it’s not stuffy with mucus, but the characteristics are difficulty breathing, the baby’s nose is blowing up and down, breathing is faster, the child is whimpering,” explained Dr. Domi.
Babies who are susceptible are usually underweight or premature babies. Because babies with less body weight allegedly have a weaker body defense. “Take care of the health of pregnant women better, so that children can be born normal and healthy,” said Dr. Domi.
For the first prevention by increasing the baby’s resistance through breast milk (breast milk). Because breast milk is better than formula in increasing the endurance of babies before 6 months. Another form of prevention is the vaccine. Although not all pneumonia can be prevented with a vaccine.
For example pneumonia due to chemicals or other diseases. The most important thing for prevention is to regulate the environment of the baby sister. Try not to kiss the baby on the face. Because the greatest transmission of pneumonia from the respiratory tract.
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