Nearly 40% of young children missing important vaccine because it is too costly

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NEARLY 40% OF YOUNG CHILDREN MISSING IMPORTANT VACCINE BECAUSE IT IS TOO COSTLY

Post date:
8 Feb 2015 - 11:20am








According to doctors here, there are nearly 40% of young children, aged between 0 and 2, missing out in the full pneumococcal vaccine because it is too expensive.

One dose costs about $150 if administered at a polyclinic and between $170 to $180 at most GPs .

The vaccine is required to be administered at least 3 times before the child turns 1 meaning that the cost of the full vaccination is almost $500.

The vaccine is also very important as Pneumococcal disease is the leading infectious cause of death in children. The infection is bacterial and it starts with a high fever. It can cause deadly pneumonia, meningitis and other life-threatening ailments.

Currently, only diphtheria and measles vaccines are compulsory by law but the Ministry of Health has also listed the vaccine for polio, tetanus and Pneumococcal disease on its list of recommended vaccines.

Pretty much all other vaccines listed under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule are free for citizens.

Parents have questioned why the vaccine is not fully subsidized despite it appearing on the list f recommended vaccines.







Nevertheless, parents have been allowed to use Medisave to pay for the vaccine since 2009 and this had resulted in an increase in the number of chidren getting the vaccine.
However, there is still a large number of children missing the shot.

Another major reason for the high cost of the vaccine itseld is due to the vaccine being available only through 2 major drug companies and because of the market share that they enjoy, they tend to price the vaccine at a price the country can afford rather than at competitive prices.

an recent report by Doctors without Borders found that the pneumococcal vaccine from Pfizer cost US$75 in France, US$65 in India, US$136 in USA and in Malaysia, about US$55.
Until another vaccine enters the market or the vaccine's patent expires, doctors say it is unlikely prices will go down.

In Singapore, there were about 166 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in 2013 and Pneumonia was the 2nd biggest killer in 2013.
Between 2004 and 2013, 5 children under the age of 6 died of Pneumococcal disease and another 11 over age 6 died of the disease.


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