Physicians are urging the government to include in the National Immunization Program the vaccine against Streptococcus Pneumoniae that causes the pneumococcal diseases killing at least 9,000 Filipino children and 1.6 million kids globally every year.

According to doctors, the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae causes children to suffer from a range of childhood diseases, from the more serious meningitis or the inflammation or swelling of the lining of the brain, to Pneumonia or the inflammation of the lungs and blood infection or bacteraemia.

It also causes Otitis media or the inflammatory infection of the middle ear, sinusitis or bronchitis or the inflammation of the airways in the lungs.

Chronic Otitis Media or “luga” is one of the most common disease caused by the bacteria. It is characterized by fever, irritability, crying and draining ear due to a perforated eardrum, Dr. Gretchen Navarro-Locsin, pediatric otorhinolaryngologist at the St. Luke's Medical Center said.

"There is a preventive measure for this. We can save our children through vaccination," Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and chairperson of the Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Prevention (ASAP) said during the Asian launch of the 10-Valent Pneumococcal non-typeable Haemophilus Influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) manufactured by Glaxo Smith Kline.

The launch was attended by local and foreign press as well as officers of the multinational drug firm GSK.

The vaccine was approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) last July 9 and was certified safe for the immunization of infants and children from six weeks up to two years of age.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the development of safe, efficient and appropriately priced pneuococcal conjugate vaccine will be the highest priority to reduce pneumococcal bacteria-related diseases.

"Pneumococcal disease is the leading vaccine-preventable disease in children under five years old. More needs to be done to better protect our children. More infants should be vaccinated against pneumococcal disease to avoid needless suffering, hospitalization and doctor visits," she added.

According to Dr. Nancy Bernal, founding member of the Philippine Foundation for Immunization (PFI), the new vaccine works well together with the other vaccines administered under the National Immunization Program including hepatitis B, HIB, DPT, and oral polio vaccine.

A clinical trial was conducted in two countries, Taiwan and the Philippines. Some 400 Filipino kids were gathered to become part of the study.

Bernal said the inclusion of the PHiD-CV does not render any side effects if it is co-administered with the other vaccines.