Head of the IDAI Respirology UKK, Dr. Dr. Nastiti Kaswandani, Sp.A, Subsp.Resp(K), said that pneumonia prevention can be done by completing vaccinations related to pneumococcus bacteria which aim to prevent severity when infected.
"The most common bacterial cause is pneumococcus, so the vaccine is PCV, or pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The second most common is Hib, followed by pertussis (DPT), and measles, MR, and MMR vaccines. Measles prevention should also be given starting at 9 months of age. The annual influenza vaccine is also very beneficial," Nastiti said in an online discussion with the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) in Jakarta on Friday.
Nastiti said pneumonia is a leading cause of death in infants, affecting the function of the alveoli in the lungs, which receive oxygen and distribute it throughout the body via the blood vessels. When inflammation caused by germs, viruses, or bacteria occurs, the alveoli fill with a green fluid, disrupting oxygen exchange.
This causes vital organs such as the heart and brain to lack oxygen, thus increasing the risk of death.
