Manila: Routine childhood and maternal vaccination can help protect children from serious heart conditions, including heart inflammation and some congenital heart defects, a pediatric cardiologist said Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Ma. Concepcion Sison, past chair of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) Council on Congenital Heart Disease, emphasized that immunization does more than prevent viral infections, as some infections can also impact the heart. She explained during an online health forum that vaccines can help prevent infections that may lead to heart muscle inflammation, known as myocarditis.
"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 (This is not just for preventing viral infection. Because this viral infection can also affect the heart and cause inflammation of the heart muscle, such as myocarditis, preventing this infection will also prevent the child's heart from being involved)," Sison stated.
Routine childhood immunizations, including measles and influenza vaccines, play a crucial role in protecting against infections that can result in severe complications. Maternal immunization further safeguards unborn children from infections potentially causing congenital heart defects. Sison specifically mentioned rubella, which can lead to serious birth defects if a woman is infected during pregnancy.
However, she cautioned that some live vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, should be administered before pregnancy rather than during it. Sison also highlighted the necessity of promptly treating streptococcal throat infections to prevent rheumatic fever, which can cause irreversible damage to heart valves.
She urged parents to consult health professionals and credible sources for vaccine information amidst prevailing misinformation and 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.
Sison further mentioned that children with existing congenital heart conditions should still receive recommended vaccines unless advised otherwise by their doctors. The PHA, in collaboration with the Philippine Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Department of Health, is also working towards improving the monitoring of rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease through patient registries and expanding access to PhilHealth Z Benefits for treatment and secondary prevention.
