A leading pulmonologist is urging Filipinos to get vaccinated against flu and pneumonia as the country enters peak flu season, noting that those with underlying health conditions face the greatest risk of serious complications.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza, speaking over DYTR’s “Newsmakers ug Uban Pa,” stressed the critical importance of vaccination against both influenza and pneumonia, particularly as flu season typically runs from June to November in the Philippines.
“The flu vaccine helps protect people from Influenza A and B virus,” Cepedoza said. “For this reason, it is flu season, and this is the time that people should get flu vaccines.”
The Philippines faces hurdles with vaccine coverage compared to global standards.
Only 53% of those who are aware of the pneumococcal vaccine said that they have been vaccinated with it, translating to about a fifth of all Filipinos 60 and over that have protection against pneumonia, according to a national survey of older people by the UP Population Institute.
Globally, pneumococcal vaccine coverage varies dramatically between regions, with the WHO South-East Asia Region estimated at 88% coverage, while it is only 23% in the WHO Western Pacific Region, where the Philippines is located.
Cepedoza said that people with comorbidities — including diabetes, hypertension, smoking habits, alcohol dependency, and asthma — face heightened dangers from flu infections and should prioritize vaccination.
“Those with comorbidities need to be vaccinated with the flu vaccine,” he said. “Often they show serious symptoms when they get infected with flu or pneumonia.”
He noted that pneumonia can sometimes be asymptomatic, particularly in people with uncontrolled high blood sugar.
“Young people often show high fever when they get pneumonia. People 65 or older may not experience fever,” Cepedoza said, explaining that symptoms depend on immune system strength and age.
Senior citizens should receive flu vaccines annually and pneumonia vaccines every five years, regardless of their health status, according to Cepedoza.
The pneumonia vaccine should be administered twice with a five-year interval between doses.
Any licensed physician in the Philippines can administer the vaccines, and nurses can give them under medical supervision. The shots can be given during a simple clinic visit without hospitalization.
“Most doctors have vaccines in their clinics as health authorities advocate prevention than cure as prevention is cheaper and safer than treatments that are more expensive and dangerous,” Cepedoza said.
Both vaccines can be administered on the same day but should not be given intravenously, as the medication would be eliminated through urine, he explained.
Cepedoza, who holds clinics at Tagbilaran Community Hospital, ACE Hospital, and Ramiro Community Hospital, stressed that the flu vaccine requires annual updates because the virus changes yearly.
“This year’s vaccine is able to protect against this year’s flu virus variant,” he said, noting that last year’s vaccine may no longer provide adequate protection.
The pulmonologist warned of severe complications that can arise from untreated infections.
People without flu vaccines may develop bacterial pneumonia during recovery from viral infections.
“The pneumococcal bacteria may infect the lungs and could reach the brain and cause meningitis, that is why the vaccines are important,” he said.
Lack of vaccination can also lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the immune system’s response to bacterial toxins becomes unregulated and can cause organ failure.
“The toxins will circulate throughout the body and could affect vital organs causing a severe form of infection as it may lead to organ failure due to the toxin caused by the bacteria,” Cepedoza explained.
The Philippines has seen flu cases 52% higher compared to previous years, highlighting the urgency of vaccination efforts. The country experiences year-round pneumonia season, according to Cepedoza.
While global pneumococcal conjugate vaccine coverage has increased six-fold from 10 percent in 2010 to 65 percent in 2023, this falls short of the Immunization Agenda 2030 target of 90 percent coverage.
Vaccinated individuals typically experience milder symptoms when infected, Cepedoza noted, though he noted that even healthy young people should consider vaccination despite having stronger immune systems.
“Medicine is towards specialization as patient outcome is better that way,” he said, recommending consultation with doctors before vaccination to understand potential side effects and receive proper medical guidance.
The doctor stressed that vaccine overdose is not a concern, as vaccines undergo extensive research with billions of dollars invested in their development and safety testing.