Vaccinating children and pregnant women can help prevent infections that may lead to serious heart complications, including inflammation of the heart muscle and certain congenital heart defects, a pediatric cardiologist said.
Ma. Concepcion Sison, past chair of the Philippine Heart Association Council on Congenital Heart Disease, said Friday that immunization protects more than just against viral infections because some of these illnesses can also affect the heart.
“Hindi lang ito para sa pagpe-prevent ng viral infection. Pero dahil itong viral infection na ito ay pwede rin maka-apekto ng puso, makapag-produce ng pamamaga or inflammation ng muscle ng puso tulad ng myocarditis, ay pag na-prevent itong infection na ito, ay mape-prevent din ‘yung pagka-involve ng puso ng bata,” Sison said during an online health forum.
She identified routine childhood vaccines, including those against measles and influenza, as important protection against infections that can result in severe complications.
Maternal vaccination can also help protect babies before birth. Sison cited rubella as a particular concern because infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects, including congenital heart problems.
She cautioned, however, that some live vaccines should be given before pregnancy. These include the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is not recommended during pregnancy.
Beyond vaccination, Sison said parents should also ensure that streptococcal throat infections receive prompt treatment to prevent rheumatic fever.
The disease can cause lasting damage to the heart valves and may eventually lead to rheumatic heart disease.
Sison also urged parents to consult health professionals and credible sources when making decisions about vaccination, particularly as misinformation continues to contribute to vaccine hesitancy.
“Maraming misinformation tungkol sa bakuna … tulad nung isang naging popular dati ‘yung autism, but napabulaanan na ito (There is a lot of misinformation about vaccines claiming that they cause other diseases, such as the one that became popular before regarding autism, but this has already been debunked),” she said.
Children who already have congenital heart conditions should continue receiving recommended vaccines unless their doctors advise otherwise, Sison said.
The Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Philippine Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Department of Health are also working to strengthen monitoring of rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease through patient registries.
The groups are also seeking to expand access to PhilHealth Z Benefits for treatment and secondary prevention of these conditions.
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
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