Tingog Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez on Wednesday administered freepneumococcal polyvalent vaccine (PPV) to some of the 520 beneficiaries in Quezon City as part of her group’s wellness program to fight pneumococcal infection, including the dreaded pneumonia, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let us be reminded of vaccinations’ importance to control and prevent pneumococcal infection like pneumonia. It will not only protect us, but also the general population, if we achieve herd immunity,” said Romualdez, a registered nurse, after personally administering the vaccination to the beneficiaries.
Romualdez, chairperson of the House committee on welfare of children, lamented that pneumonia remains prevalent especially among elderly people despite being preventable by vaccination.
“It is very imperative for us to be proactive in taking care of ourselves, especially the elderly, in the fight against pneumococcal infection. Let us work together to raise awareness,” Romualdez said.
PPV works by causing a body to produce its own protection or antibodies against the infection by pneumococcal bacteria.
According to medical institutions, pneumococcal infection can cause serious problems such as pneumonia, which affects the lungs; meningitis, which affects the brain; and bacteremia, which is a severe infection in the blood that will lead to death, especially among adults and persons with certain health conditions.
Romualdez, Tingog second nominee Jude Acidre and the medical team of the Department of Health (DoH) made possible the inoculation of 320 individuals at the Brisbane covered court at Vista Real Classica 1, Batasan Hills in Quezon City.
The event was in partnership with House Assistant Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo and her husband, Quezon City Councilor Winnie Castelo, homeowners association President Bob Gochangco and Batasan Hills Barangay chairman Jojo Abad.
“We are very thankful to the Tingog party-list group led by Congresswoman Yedda Marie Romualdez for their concern and malasakit to our constituents,” the Castelo couple said as Tingog also donated one wheelchair.
After the event, Romualdez and her team proceeded to the covered court of the Jordan Plains in Novaliches, Quezon City to vaccinate 200 persons and donated three wheelchairs.
Quezon City 5th District Councilor PM Vargas, the Office of 5th District Rep. Alfred Vargas and the DoH helped the party-list administer the vaccines to the beneficiaries.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the party-list group of Ma’am Yedda. Tingog cares,” the Vargas brothers said.
Romualdez assured that “Tingog will do everything it can to help boost people’s defense from various diseases.”
For his part, Acidre, chief of staff of Romualdez and the national president of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippine, said the elderly are among those most at risk for acquiring pneumonia because they are considered immuno-compromised.
Acidre explained that one dose of the vaccine is recommended to protect against 23 of the most prevalent or invasive types of streptococcus pneumoniae, known as the most common bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia.