Q. What is the importance of using Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in India?

These vaccines are effective against pneumonia as well as meningitis and sepsis.
Dependence on antibiotics that are not effective against drug-resistant bacteria can be reduced.
These vaccines have no side effects and cause no allergic reactions.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as pneumococcus).
It is caused by bacteria which can lead to infections in the lungs, blood, and brain.
It causes health problems in children younger than 5 years of age.
The greatest risk for infection is for children younger than 2, adults over 65, people with certain medical conditions, and cigarette smokers.
These diseases also include pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, blood infections, and ear infections.

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) prevents pneumococcal disease.
The vaccine is a mix of several bacteria of the pneumococci family, which are known to cause pneumonia — hence ‘conjugate’ is included in the name of the vaccine.
- Conjugate vaccines are made using a combination of two different components.
Most people who get a pneumococcal vaccine do not have any serious problems with it. With any medicine, including vaccines, there is a chance of side effects. These are usually mild and go away on their own within a few days, but serious reactions are possible.

Pneumonia is a lung disease.
Pneumococcal pneumonia, a kind of pneumonia, can infect the upper respiratory tract and can spread to the blood, lungs, middle ear, or nervous system.
Pneumococcal disease is a name for any infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumonia or pneumococcus.
Most people carry pneumococcus in their nose and throat, where the bacteria do not cause any symptoms.