Thu, Aug 25, 2022 page2

• Medical experts urge vaccination awareness

  • By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
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  Although people are becoming aware of the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19, other vaccinations are effective for preventing many infectious diseases and should not be neglected, National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital superintendent Huang Li-min (黃立民) said yesterday.

  Huang, who is honorary chairman of the Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan, was speaking about vaccinations for adults at an event held by the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei and supported by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Taiwan Branch.

  British Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Richard Stokes-Green said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people and businesses have recognized that healthcare and workforce well-being is of paramount importance.

  

  National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital superintendent Huang Li-min speaks at a British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei event yesterday.

  Photo courtesy of the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei

  “However, immunization should not just be a crisis-management issue, but needs to become a core component of operational and human resources planning, to ensure productivity, employee well-being and the well-being of the community,” Stokes-Green said.

  The pandemic has changed people’s perceptions about the importance of vaccines, but vaccination in adults remains an undervalued and underused health prevention tool, Huang said.

  While parents take their young children to be vaccinated according to a recommended schedule, a global study conducted last year showed that lack of information is the biggest barrier to adults getting vaccinated, he said, adding that many adults say they need to be reminded about when vaccinations are due.

  

  From left, Centers for Disease Control Director-General Chou Jih-haw, National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital superintendent Huang Li-min and H2U Corp president and CEO Saxon Chen attend a panel discussion organized by the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo courtesy of the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei

  “Our immune function wanes with age, peaking around 15 to 20 years of age,” Huang said. “As adults age, the immune system function deteriorates — a process known as immunosenescence, which is influenced by genetic and external factors.”

  Two of the main causes of immunosenescence are “thymic involution” — as the thymus reduces output of T cells — and being in a state of low-level “chronic inflammation,” which indicates that the immune system is overworked and might become weakened, causing dysfunctions, he said.

  Immunosenescence results in weakened immune responses to protect the body, meaning older adults become more susceptible to infections from many diseases, such as herpes zoster, or shingles, Huang said.

  

  National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital superintendent Huang Li-min speaks at a medical conference in Taipei in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times

  Adult vaccinations are important because protection from vaccines does not last as long as previously thought and it wanes in some people faster than others, he said, adding that new diseases can emerge, such as COVID-19.

  Infectious disease epidemiology is also changing, causing more adults to contract diseases that mostly affected children in the past, such as Japanese encephalitis, which adults are advised to get vaccinated against every 10 years, he said.

  Shingles is a common disease in adults aged 50 or older — one in three people will develop shingles — and the risk of shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a long-term nerve pain complication, increases with age, he said.

  The pain from PHN can be extremely debilitating, substantially affecting a person’s ability to work and their quality of life, he said.

  In addition to healthy eating, physical exercise, regular health exams and good hygiene, “life-course vaccination” is also important to healthy aging, as it not only prevents acute infections, but also prevents complications, Huang said.

  Life-course vaccination refers to meeting individuals’ needs throughout their lives, and vaccines can be suggested depending on whether the person is an infant or child, an adult, a traveler, pregnant or elderly, he said.

  The Centers for Disease Control has a recommended adult vaccination schedule, which shows recommended doses based on age, he said.

  However, vaccine uptake among adults in Taiwan is relatively low, so healthcare providers, health authorities, employers and the media should raise awareness, he said.

  An influenza vaccination program at a workplace in Malaysia reduced infections by about 70 percent, ultimately saving the company money, he said, citing a study.

  GSK Taiwan general manager Mick Stanley said there is a misconception that vaccination is only for infants and children, but there are also vaccines that can drastically reduce mortality or significantly improve quality of life for adults, such as flu or shingles vaccines.

  A study in the Netherlands showed that every US$1 the Dutch government spent on adult vaccination brought US$4 to US$7 to the government budget by minimizing diseases and disease-linked outcomes, Stanley said.
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