World Immunization Week: Vaccination can effectively prevent diseases and the elderly should raise awareness of vaccination

The World Health Organization has designated the last week of April each year as "World Immunization Week" to raise people's awareness of the importance of vaccines and immunizations so that more people can be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

It is particularly important to raise vaccination awareness among the elderly

As they age, the immune function of the elderly tends to decline, making them susceptible to infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and shingles. In addition, the elderly often suffer from underlying diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so they are often under the dual threat of chronic diseases and infectious diseases.

Vaccination is an economical, effective and simple means of preventing diseases. It can help the elderly reduce the threat of diseases and effectively reduce the risk of severe illness and death. Studies have shown that influenza vaccination in the elderly can reduce the incidence of influenza-related complications, reduce influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths; for herpes zoster, which has no specific treatment, vaccination is an effective preventive measure. Hao Baoyun, head of the Immunization Program Section of the Tianjin Binhai New Area Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that in order to improve the health of the elderly, disease prevention and immunization of the elderly should receive extensive attention.

It is recommended that people over 50 years old get vaccinated against herpes zoster

At present, the vaccines recommended for the elderly in my country include influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine and shingles vaccine. "Take shingles as an example. Every year, about 1.56 million people over the age of 50 are newly diagnosed with shingles. The older you are, the more likely you are to get sick and the more serious the disease is. It is foreseeable that as the aging of the population in my country intensifies, shingles will become a public health problem." Hao Baoyun called for increasing the vaccination rate of the elderly through various means.

However, the elderly in my country generally lack scientific knowledge about the safety and protective effects of vaccines, and have certain cognitive misunderstandings. "Like all drugs, each vaccine undergoes extensive and rigorous clinical trials before being introduced into a country to ensure that they are safe for recipients. Vaccines marketed in my country all have good safety." Hao Baoyun said that in addition, citizens should have a more accurate understanding of the adverse reactions that may occur after vaccination. Common adverse reactions can be divided into local reactions and systemic reactions. Local reactions generally occur at the injection site, such as redness, swelling, heat, and pain at the injection site. Systemic reactions include fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, etc. These symptoms are usually mild and short-lived, disappearing within a few days, and most do not require treatment. "

Consider the vaccine that suits you based on your physical condition

Hao Baoyun introduced that there are also scientific choices for the vaccination population and vaccination timing. People who are allergic to vaccine ingredients should not be vaccinated, and citizens who are in fever, acute infection period or acute attack period of chronic disease should wait until their condition improves and symptoms subside before vaccination.

There are more and more vaccines available now, including live attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines, recombinant protein vaccines, mRNA vaccines, etc. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people need to consider their own physical conditions, under the guidance of doctors, and comprehensively consider the applicable age, vaccination procedures, contraindications, etc. of the vaccine to choose the vaccine that suits them. In addition, if you need to know more relevant information, such as the protective efficacy and durability of the vaccine, please consult professional medical personnel.