JOHANNESBURG — South Africa is providing a vaccine free-of-charge that is aimed at reducing deaths from pneumonia and meningitis among children, especially HIV-positive infants, experts said Wednesday.
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa is providing a vaccine free-of-charge that is aimed at reducing deaths from pneumonia and meningitis among children, especially HIV-positive infants, experts said Wednesday. The vaccine is already available in most of Europe and the United States. South Africa became the first country on the continent to make it available when it was introduced into the state-run children’s immunization program starting April 1. Dr. Till Barnighausen at the University of KwaZulu-Natal said HIV-positive children are at a significantly higher risk of contracting pneumococcal diseases because their immune systems are weakened. The vaccine "will prevent larger numbers of pneumococcal infections and deaths in HIV-infected children," he said. South Africa has the highest number of people infected with HIV — about 5.7 million people including about 240,000 children. Nusreen Khan, spokeswoman for pharmaceutical company Wyeth South Africa, which produces the vaccine, said other African countries are planning to introduce the vaccine. It is currently being tested in Rwanda and Ghana, she said. The shot, known as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, is distributed free-of-charge at state clinics but can cost $60 at a private hospital. Pneumococcal diseases are a leading but preventable cause of death among children, with about one million children younger than five dying each year worldwide. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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