Last week of April every year
World Immunization Week
Today we call on seniors
Coronavirus and booster vaccines
At 10:00 on April 26th, Shanghai held a press conference on the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic. At the meeting, it was reported that on April 25th, 52 new local deaths were reported. . Average 83.1 years old, minimum age 33 years old, maximum age 100 years old. The 33-year-old patient, male, died of sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest due to ineffective rescue. He was diagnosed with sudden cardiac death and had received 2 doses of the new coronary pneumonia virus vaccine. The other 51 patients were complicated with multi-organ underlying diseases, including advanced liver cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute coronary syndrome, severe hypertension, diabetes, sequelae of cerebral infarction, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease Serious diseases of important organs such as Zheimer’s disease (commonly known as Alzheimer’s disease) and uremia. The causes of death were all underlying diseases.
Seniors
Higher risk
In addition, on April 21, 2022, an updated analysis of 8,973 deaths from the fifth wave of COVID-19 (Omicron) in Hong Kong showed that 95% of deaths in Hong Kong were Elderly, unvaccinated elderly still have a very high case fatality rate, as shown below:
It can be seen from the table that the fatality rate of the full-course vaccinated and the boosted vaccinated is significantly lower than that of the unvaccinated. In addition, booster vaccination can further reduce mortality in the elderly population.
It can be seen that compared with young people, the elderly with weak immune function and often with multiple underlying diseases are at higher risk of severe illness and death once infected with the new coronavirus.
Secondly, COVID-19 vaccination is the most effective and scientific intervention to block the spread of the epidemic and reduce the fatality rate. Strengthening the vaccination also helps to reduce the fatality rate of the elderly.
Appeal!
Get vaccinated against Covid-19
According to the statistics of the National Health and Medical Commission, as of March 17, 2022, the vaccination status of people over 60 years old in my country is as follows:
It can be seen from the table that compared with the elderly who received one dose and completed the whole basic immunization, the proportion of the elderly who received the booster vaccine decreased significantly in all age groups. In short, the number of elderly people receiving booster vaccines in our country is relatively small!
my country’s population over the age of 60 is 264 million, of which 211.76 million have completed the full course of vaccination, which means that 52 million people over the age of 60 have not completed the vaccination Full course of COVID-19 vaccine.
Why the call for older adults to get vaccinated?
The immune function of the elderly is relatively weak. The antibody level and protective effect of the people over 60 years old after completing the basic immunization of the vaccine are relatively lower than those of the 15-59 year old people. , with a high proportion of severe/critical illness. Data from Hong Kong show that booster vaccination can significantly reduce the case fatality rate. At the same time, existing studies also show that the risk of severe illness and death after new coronavirus infection can be reduced by more than 90% after the elderly are vaccinated with booster immunization. It can be seen that it is very necessary for the elderly to receive a booster shot of the vaccine.
Currently, my country recommends two booster vaccination strategies. One is homologous booster vaccination, that is, the booster vaccination is completed with the same technical route used for the original basic immunization. The second is sequential booster vaccination, that is, the booster vaccination is completed with a vaccine that is different from the technical route used in the original basic immunization.
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 people is vaccination. From the analysis of the incidence, severe illness and death of new coronary pneumonia announced by various countries, the elderly over 60 years old are at high risk of severe illness and death. On the one hand, the elderly have a weakened immune system, and on the other hand, the proportion of chronic underlying diseases is high. The best way to protect the elderly from the threat of new coronary pneumonia is still vaccination. Vaccines, and strive to achieve the goal of “accommodating everything”.
Senior vaccination
What to watch out for?
Ask
The elderly at home do not go out all year round. Is it necessary to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus?
Answer
It is necessary! The new coronavirus is highly contagious and easy to spread. Although the elderly stay at home, people around them, such as family members and social workers, may bring them the risk of infection; the elderly are at high risk of becoming severely ill and dying after being infected with the new coronavirus. It can effectively reduce the risk of morbidity, severe illness and death. Therefore, for elderly people who rarely go out, if their physical health meets the requirements for vaccination, it is recommended to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus.
Ask
Is there a maximum age to get the coronavirus vaccine?
Answer
At present, there are requirements for the lower limit of age for the new coronavirus vaccine, there is no upper limit for the age, as long as people over 3 years old can be vaccinated against the new coronavirus vaccine >. For the “Booster” vaccination, you need to be at least 18 years old.
Ask
What are the contraindications and precautions for the elderly vaccinating against COVID-19?
Answer
Seniors over the age of 60 can be vaccinated against the new coronavirus as long as they have no contraindications and are not the objects of delayed vaccination. The main reasons for not being vaccinated or being vaccinated immediately are as follows:
1. allergic to the active ingredients of the new coronavirus vaccine, any inactive ingredients, substances used in the production process, or previous vaccinations of the same type Allergic;
2. Those who have experienced severe allergic reactions to vaccines in the past (such as acute allergic reactions, angioedema, dyspnea, etc.);
3. Those with uncontrolled epilepsy and other serious neurological disorders (eg, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, demyelinating disorders, etc.);
4. Those who are febrile, or suffering from acute disease, or acute exacerbation of chronic disease, or uncontrolled severe chronic disease.
5. Special reminder that the elderly must be vaccinated against the new crown during the stable period of the disease. If they are not sure, they should consult a doctor; if the underlying disease is in an unstable state, the vaccine should be vaccinated. It should be postponed until the state is stable before going for vaccination.
6. For some chronic underlying diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, etc., some people may have frequent recurrences. If their physical condition and health condition are stable, they can be vaccinated, because these People with underlying diseases are often people who are likely to become severely ill with the new coronary pneumonia once infected.
The source of this article: Lv Yan, Yang Yida, National Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Part of the content source: CCTV
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