(Available in Chinese version only) \u5168\u7403\u6b63\u52aa\u529b\u5c0d\u6297\u65b0\u51a0\u80ba\u708e\uff08Covid-19\uff09\uff0c\u5176\u5be6\u7531\u80ba\u708e\u93c8\u7403\u83cc\uff08Streptococcus pneumoniae\uff09\u5f15\u81f4\u7684\u80ba\u708e\u4e5f\u4e0d\u80fd\u8f15\u8996\u3002\u55ae\u662f\u5728\u9999\u6e2f\uff0c\u80ba\u708e\u9577\u671f\u4f54\u64da\u4e86\u5341\u5927\u81f4\u547d\u75be\u75c5\u4f4d\u7f6e\uff0c\u5c24\u5176\u5c0d\u5152\u7ae5\u3001\u9577\u8005\u7b49\u514d\u75ab\u529b\u8f03\u4f4e\u7684\u4eba\u58eb\u9020\u6210\u56b4\u91cd\u5a01\u8105\uff1b\u7576\u4e2d\uff0c\u80ba\u708e\u93c8\u7403\u83cc\u80fd\u5920\u5165\u4fb5\u4eba\u9ad4\u5404\u500b\u5668\u5b98\uff0c\u5f15\u767c\u4e0d\u540c\u4f75\u767c\u75c7\uff0c\u56b4\u91cd\u751a\u6216\u81f4\u547d\u3002\u5168\u79d1\u91ab\u751f\u8607\u52c7\u67cf\u91ab\u751f\u6703\u8a73\u89e3\u611f\u67d3\u80ba\u708e\u93c8\u7403\u83cc\u7684\u56b4\u91cd\u6027\uff0c\u4ee5\u53ca\u4e0d\u540c\u80ba\u708e\u93c8\u7403\u83cc\u75ab\u82d7\u4e4b\u9593\u7684\u5340\u5225\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
What is Streptococcus pneumoniae?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus, is a common respiratory bacteria that is spread through coughing and droplets, or close contact with patients and touching objects contaminated with bacteria. So far, more than 90 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae have been confirmed. They hide in the human nasal cavity. Once the immune system is weakened, such as when a cold occurs, the bacteria may invade the human body through the respiratory tract or blood. In addition to being able to cause pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae is also one of the main pathogens of diseases such as otitis media, acute sinusitis, meningitis, and osteomyelitis. People with weakened immunity, including the elderly over 65 years old and infants and young children under the age of 2, are at high risk of contracting the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Children may die due to infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. In some cases, even if they are successfully cured, sequelae such as mental retardation, hearing impairment, and epilepsy may occur. In addition to the high-incidence group, when the immune system of the general adult becomes weak, it is also easy to be infected with the bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Differences Between Vaccines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With the increasing resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to antibiotics, it is generally recommended that vaccination against pneumonia is more effective. At present, the government implements the "Hong Kong Children's Immunization Program" to provide free Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine injections for infants under the age of 2. You can consult a doctor first to determine whether your child is suitable for vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are currently three types of pneumonia vaccines on the market, namely 7-valent, 13-valent and 23-valent. The so-called "valence" refers to how many serotypes are targeted at Streptococcus pneumoniae. The 7-valent and 13-valent vaccines are polysaccharide-protein conjugated vaccines, and the 23-valent vaccine is a polysaccharide vaccine. Among them, the 13-valent vaccine is equivalent to an upgraded version of the 7-valent vaccine and has been gradually replaced by the government as a vaccine in the childhood immunization program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What parents should know before deciding to vaccinate their children against pneumococcal\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>The vaccine is a combination of polysaccharides and proteins, which can stimulate infants to produce antibodies by themselves, and is suitable for infants under 2 years old. It is worth noting that children at this stage are at greatest risk of contracting pneumococcal infection, so this type of vaccine is more widely used.<\/li>
<\/strong>The vaccine is composed of polysaccharide antigens, and the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine covers the most blood types. However, its ability to stimulate infants to produce antibodies is poor, so it is only suitable for children over 2 years old.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n