Nearly 100,000 pneumonia cases reported in Thailand in 2013

BANGKOK, August 13 (TNA) - The Ministry of Public Health says that there have been nearly 100,000 pneumonia cases in Thailand since early this year. Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sintawanarong quoted the ministry's Department of Disease Control as reporting on Tuesday that there had been 99,670 pneumonia patients across Thailand from January 1-August 4, 2013, with 581 deaths from the disease. Dr. Pradit acknowledged that people being at risk of pneumonia include young children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases or low immunity, advising people of the vulnerable groups to take good care of their health, receive influenza vaccine and not to be in a congested place. According to the minister, the lion's share, 30.50%, of the pneumonia patients are 65 years old and over, followed by those aged from one day to one year (10.63 per cent) and those aged 55-64 10.27 per cent. The public health minister noted that almost all patients are Thai and the highest illness rate is in the Thai North, followed by the Northeast, the South and the central region. Over the past three years, the number of pneumonia patients in Thailand peaked in the rainy season, from August to October, and it rose again from January to March. Influenza vaccine is available free of charges for people in the risk groups at hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Health and participating hospitals of the government and the private sector. The vaccine is available free for people aged 65 and over, children aged from six months to two years, people with seven chronic diseases, namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart disease, stroke, renal failure and diabetes, as well as cancer, which requires chemotherapy. (TNA)