At present, the new crown pneumonia epidemic is still raging around the world, and the situation is not optimistic. To defeat the epidemic, vaccines are powerful weapons. There are 264 million people over 60 years old in my country’s population. Up to now, 221.76 million elderly people over 60 years old have completed the full course of vaccination against the new coronavirus, which also means that there are still 52 million elderly people over 60 years old who have not completed the full course of vaccination.
“Most of the elderly have underlying diseases. Once infected with the new coronavirus, the risk of severe illness and death is much higher than that of young people.” Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said that vaccination is important for preventing severe and Death works well. The elderly and people with underlying diseases are the most in need of vaccination.
“The classic theory of infectious diseases is to control the source of infection, cut off the route of transmission, and protect susceptible populations. One of the most effective means of protecting susceptible populations is vaccination.” Deputy Director of the National Health Commission, National Institutes of Health Wang Hesheng, director of the Bureau of Control, said that through the accumulation of practical experience in epidemic prevention and control, vaccination has achieved good results. Some older people feel that they don’t usually go out, so they don’t get vaccinated. Once infected with the new coronavirus, there is a big difference between getting vaccinated and not vaccinating.
In the context of the epidemic, vaccination is not only to protect yourself, but also to protect your family, and to contribute to the society. In order to further increase the vaccination rate of the elderly, Zeng Yixin said that first, we must do a good job in publicity and mobilization. Conceptually, both the principle of voluntary vaccination and the sense of responsibility should be emphasized. At the same time, we must attach great importance to popular science propaganda, actively respond to the concerns of the elderly, and eliminate concerns.
The second is to give full play to the role of territorial and relevant authorities. Territories can use the grid method to do a good job in the organization and implementation of vaccinations for the elderly, and industry authorities can also actively mobilize key groups such as the elderly and key places such as nursing homes within the system, so as to achieve a combination of blocks.
The third is to ensure the safety of vaccination for the elderly. The inoculation unit should arrange for medical staff who are familiar with the physical condition of the elderly and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases to provide medical insurance. Before the elderly are vaccinated, they should do a health assessment, and do on-site observation after the inoculation. In particular, they should make preparations for emergency rescue. Unexpected situations can be handled in a timely and scientific manner.
Fourth, we must continue to take convenient measures to provide convenience for the elderly to receive vaccines. It is possible to use equipment such as mobile vaccination vehicles to set up temporary vaccination points to reduce the round-trip distance for the elderly. The elderly sometimes have difficulty walking, so they can provide door-to-door services, and open more green channels for the elderly to be vaccinated to reduce waiting time. (Intern Li Jiayue also contributed to this article)