2023-06-08 20:16:28
The pandemic generated by covid-19 completely changed vaccination. More than 10 billion doses were applied to a large part of the global population, which demonstrated how a biological can stop the advance of a virus and safeguard public health.
Even so, explains the Head of Infectious Diseases at the Marly Clinic, Carlos Eduardo Pérez, Vaccination in adults continues to be very low and in most cases this is due to ignorance, myths and taboos that still exist around the application of biologicals.
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(Also read: ‘There are vaccines that adults should have, but they don’t know about them’)
“Many times adults do not know about vaccines. An important point is that in vaccination there are vaccines for children, which are the ones we usually know about, but there are perhaps the same number of vaccines for adults and those vaccines also protect lives and prevent complications. And I think that the health system, the doctors and the patients themselves have to understand that vaccination is as important in children as it is in adults and that knowing about these vaccines is what will make them possible to get vaccinated.r”, says Perez.
The expert, who promotes the application of biologicals and teaches about these issues through the portal Infectowebassures that there is still a lot of work to be done on education issues, both in adults and in health sector professionals, but also from other actors, to understand how getting vaccinated can save lives and avoid costs to the system.
“There are clinical studies that show that investing in vaccines, by reducing the burden of the disease, avoids complications such as hospitalization, drug treatments, and it has been seen that the relationship between vaccinating and preventing diseases is cost-effective. So, there are examples like the HPV vaccine, which is a vaccine that is apparently expensive, but when one sees the impact on cancer reduction, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hospitalization, surgeries, well, it becomes a cost-effective strategy. . And so with many vaccines”, emphasizes the expert.
(Also read: This is the complete balance of the National Vaccination Plan in Colombia)
In this sense, it stands out There is a group of vaccines that, after a doctor’s recommendation, every adult should consider getting. Among them: covid-19, influenza, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), yellow fever, pneumococcal, herpes zoster (shingles) and tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. We tell you everything you need to know about each of these vaccines.
covid-19 vaccine
The covid-19 vaccine is available to all adults who have not received it. It prevents the respiratory disease that for more than two years stopped the world and caused one of the biggest health emergencies in history. There are different brands and doses to be applied and it can be accessed for free.
Adult tetanus and diphtheria toxoid vaccine
Recommended for Women of Childbearing Age (MEF) between 10 and 49 years. It prevents diphtheria, tetanus and neonatal tetanus and is part of the country’s Vaccination Scheme. If you have never received this vaccine, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you do so as soon as possible.
This should be applied like this:
Seasonal influenza vaccine
For adults over 60 it is recommended to apply the influenza vaccine that prevents respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. This is also part of the country’s Vaccination Scheme.
(Also read: Vaccination: this is how they will fight 25 diseases in Bogotá)
Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine
The CDC recommends the human papillomavirus vaccine for girls and boys ages 11 to 12. Teens and young adults who start the vaccine series later, between ages 15 and 26, should get more than one dose. This helps prevent cervical cancer and usually a total of two doses are applied six months apart from each other. This is also part of the country’s Vaccination Scheme.
yellow fever vaccine
The Bogotá Ministry of Health points out that the application of the yellow fever vaccine is applied to girls and boys from 18 months of age and to traveling adults up to 59 years of age, to whom, if they are going to travel outside the country, they are given a card. international and if not, they are given the national card.
According to the Ministry of Health, a single application of this vaccine protects against yellow fever for life. This is especially recommended when visiting areas that are endemic for this disease.
Yellow fever is an infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which, if infected, transmits the virus to humans by biting. This disease has a very high mortality rate.
(Also read: The vaccination card will be mandatory in schools and kindergartens in Bogotá)
The symptoms are headache, muscle and joint pain, fever, flushing, loss of appetite, vomiting, and yellow skin due to liver damage; likewise, damage to the kidneys, heart, hemorrhages (loss of blood), loss of consciousness and coma.
If you need to be vaccinated against yellow fever, you can consult your Health Provider Entity, EPS, to request the application of the biological or also, if you live in Bogotá, you can attend any of the free application points authorized by the Ministry of Health.
pneumococcal vaccine
The CDC recommends both available pneumococcal vaccines for adults 65 and older. Young adults at higher risk of contracting pneumococcal diseases may also need a dose of the vaccine, according to the entity. Pneumococcal diseases cause infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections.
As explained by the infectologist Carlos Eduardo Pérez, to obtain the pneumococcal vaccine, you have to do a Mipres, which is an administrative procedure. But if the patient and the doctor make the effort to do the vaccination, it can be done. In Bogotá the vaccine is free for people over 60 years of age.
Herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine
As explained by the Colombian Red Cross, Herpes Zoster is caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. People with weak immune systems are at greater risk of suffering from shingles, this includes patients with pathologies such as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), cancer or diabetes, in which it can manifest itself for a long time, in some cases affecting their vital organs. . However, anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of shingles, and this risk increases with age. Shingles is most common in people over the age of 50.
(Also read: Vaccination: everything you need to know)
In Colombia, organizations such as the Red Cross regularly carry out vaccination campaigns against herpes zoster.
Hepatitis B Vaccine
According to the Ministry of Health, hepatitis B is a disease characterized by irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the liver, due to the infection generated by the spread of the hepatitis B virus, known by the acronym (HBV).
This virus is acquired through contact with blood, bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal discharge, or the saliva of a person who has the virus in their body. For this reason, it is essential that boys and girls, particularly during the first 12 hours after birth, receive this vaccine to reduce the risk of mother-son or daughter transmission.
It is key to keep in mind that if the covid-19 vaccine was recently applied, you must wait 15 days to apply vaccines against other diseases.
In Bogotá there are 200 vaccination points against hepatitis B and other communicable diseases, located in the city’s IPS, which can be consulted on the website of the Ministry of Health.
If you want to know the government vaccination point closest to your home you can do it by clicking here. Also If you live in Bogotá you can do it by clicking here.
EDWIN CAICEDO | HEALTH UNIT
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