pneumonia, all children below five years of age must be administered pneumococcal vaccine and haemophilias influenza type B (HIB) vaccine which is available under Expanded Program on Immunisation, said Dr. Rai.
He added that administration of measles vaccine is also a must for every child. In case a child has missed any of the said vaccines, parents can take him or her to the allied hospitals where these vaccines are available for all children free of cost, he said.
He added that upper respiratory tract infections are highly contagious and can be passed by tiny droplets produced during sneezing or coughing of infected persons or children and parents of infected children should take extra care to avoid spread of the infection.
He said that parents should be aware of the fact that pneumonia is one of the top killers of children below five years of age that claims not less than 70000 lives in Pakistan every year. The incidence of pneumonia should not be taken as lightly because through prevention and in time management of the cases, more than 70 per cent of the deaths can be avoided, said Dr. Rai.
Talking of the symptoms of pneumonia, he said fast breathing and lower chest wall in drawing are the main symptoms of pneumonia that may be of two types. A patient of severe pneumonia must need admission to the hospital while simple pneumonia patients can be treated at home, he explained.
He said a patient of severe pneumonia also suffer from difficulty in breathing with severe respiratory distress along with central cyanosis in which colour of hands and feet particularly gets bluish.
Dr. Rai said that children suffering from either severe or simple pneumonia must be taken to the nearest healthcare facility without wastage of time and must be examined by a qualified physician. General cough syrups and medicines for cold available in market are contraindicated among young children as they may cause life-threatening complications, he said.
He said that safe home remedies instead of general cough suppressants and flu syrups should be given to children like lukewarm green tea with honey and soups.