Some 1.25 million doses of free anti-pneumonia vaccines for indigent seniors are available in local government units (LGUs) and government health centers nationwide.
This was announced at the Pandesal Forum of the 84-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City by officers of the Department of Health, National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC), and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
The public information campaign is designed to raise awareness about free anti-pneumonia vaccines in government clinics and the importance of preventing pneumonia. It is a civic project of the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) in cooperation with MSD and Pandesal Forum.
Pneumonia is the No. 3 top cause of deaths for seniors in 2017 and also the 7th leading cause of death in the Philippines among the general population in 2021.
In 2019, over 700,000 people sought assistance and claims because of pneumonia, which translates to an estimated P10 billion pesos given out to patients and families infected with this preventable disease.
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