The chief sanitary doctor of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko announced on Facebook that a pneumococcal vaccine will appear in the vaccination calendar of Ukrainians. Ukraine has submitted a request to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization for a special price for the purchase of pneumococcal vaccines.
The corresponding government decree was adopted; the request was signed by the Minister of Health.
“The pneumococcal vaccine is included in the vaccination schedule of all 27 EU member states. Globally, pneumococcal infection is one of the leading causes of death among children under 5 years of age. According to WHO estimates, 1.6 million deaths are recorded worldwide every year due to pneumococcal diseases. about 50% of them are among children under 5 years old, “Lyashko noted.
Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumonia) is a bacterium that causes many diseases, both very serious, such as meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia, and less complex but more common infections, such as sinusitis and otitis media of the middle ear.
Pneumococcal infection is transmitted from person to person by droplets. A large number of countries have already included pneumococcal vaccine in the vaccination schedule, added Lyashko.
The vaccine is expected to appear on the vaccination calendar in 2022.
