Protection, Love, and Activities for Young Kids = P.L.A.Y.
Last February 23, I brought my children along for the launch of this disease awareness campaign at Playdium in Fun Ranch, Ortigas organized by Mommy Mundo. For many years, Mommy Mundo has been advocating the importance of vaccination. I also believe this to be the best defense against childhood diseases so I willingly supported this campaign.
While the kids were given free playtime, the audience of mostly moms were enlightened with an eye-opening presentation by Dr. Carmina delos Reyes.
Do you know what a Pneumococcal Disease is? What is Otitis Media?
Let me share some highlights of what I learned during the launch of P.L.A.Y.
Dra. Carmina delos Reyes - Talk on the First Year of Life
I used to think babies' sneezing signals the onset of colds. Well, that's only normal and nothing to be alarmed about, unless they get diarrhea and starts vomiting!
During the first year of life, babies are more susceptible to illness and disease, and for me, it's best to be protected - prevention is key. For my kids' first 24 months, both had their regular scheduled vaccinations, as per doctor's instructions. And here's the reason for the schedule:
These diseases are all preventable, and yet each year, roughly a million children die from Pneumococcal Diseases (PDs), an infection caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) bacterium, also known as pneumococcus.* Other facts:
- 48% of Asian parents admit that they know nothing or little about these diseases
- PDs are considered as the #1 killer of children less than 5 years of age worldwide
- PDs = Silent pandemic - while preventable, it is still quietly spreading its wrath
Pneumococcal diseases include invasive ones (IPD) like meningitis, and other common diseases such as acute otitis media (middle ear infection). Thank God neither of my children had been hit by PDs, and I pray they never will!
Acute Otitis Media (AOM), more commonly known as an infection of the middle ear, is the most common reason for antibiotic treatment in infants and young children. A fever, headache, cough, irritability, and pain in the ears are common symptoms of this disease.
We had an unfortunate experience with AOM when my daughter had a minor infection when she was 3 years old - a common illness for children in this age. I wrote about AOM in length here. This is also one reason why I delayed sending my kids to swimming classes due to the risk of this viral and bacterial infection. Kids aged 3 and below are more prone to otitis media.
The doctor's talk reinforced the importance of disease awareness and prevention which gave me peace of mind knowing we made the right decision to have our kids vaccinated against these dangerous and scary diseases. I think parents ultimately have the choice of whether or not we have our children vaccinated, or to delay a few of the scheduled shots. It's always best to discuss these important concerns with your pediatrician.
Aside from the educational talk, I enjoyed the company of the SoMoms and their families. The afternoon ended with a pledge to P.L.A.Y. - our promise to protect our family's health and to continue to learn about disease prevention.
Have any of you experience having a child suffer any of these diseases?
Parents, do you get your kids vaccinated?
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| SoMoms: Jenny O., Jenny R., Janice, Kris, Neva, Fleur, Cai, Tin, Jackie, and that's me on the right |
P.L.A.Y. (Protection, Love, and Activities for Young Kids) is a disease awareness campaign organized by Mommy Mundo in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, a global leader in preventive healthcare.
For more information, visit www.mommymundo.com/vaccinate.
Source: * http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/pneumococcal-disease/
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