New Delhi : Although pneumonia kills one child under five every two minutes in India, the disease is preventable -through vaccines, healthy lifestyle and timely medical intervention -say doctors from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
While pneumonia can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi, studies have found that at least three out of 20 children are infected by streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
“The government of India has included pneumococcal vaccine under the immunisa tion scheme, but it is now available only in select states. It may take time to launch the vaccine in Tamil Nadu, but parents who can afford it should vaccinate their children,” said Dr C Satheesh, president, Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Chennai, on Tuesday , ahead of World Pneumonia Day on November 12. \
The cost of the vaccine is `3,600 and children below the age of 15 months will require three doses and a booster.
Statistics show that at least 30 per1,000 children are affected by the disease. In 2010 (the latest statistics available), there were more than 3.6 million episodes of pneumonia among children.
