The Taiwan Health Alliance yesterday urged the government to add herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to government-funded vaccination programs for adults.
Taiwan is projected to become a super-aged society — in which at least 20 percent of people are aged 65 or older — by the end of this year, and adult vaccinations are more important than ever, alliance director Wu Yu-chin (吳玉琴) said.
The newborn immunization schedule provides a range of essential vaccines for infants and children, and has shown remarkable results, including eradicating smallpox and poliomyelitis, she said, adding that the government-funded vaccination schedule should keep up with the demographic changes.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
Wu said vaccine-preventable diseases still threaten public health, and statistics have demonstrated that some adult vaccines could reduce the risk of severe illness and death.
The slogan “left flu, right COVID-19” used by the government to promote getting the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time is easy for people to remember, but other preventable diseases, such as shingles and RSV infections, are still serious health threats to the elderly population, she said.
Shingles prevalence and recurrence rates significantly increase with age as the immune system declines, Wu said, adding that people with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have higher risk of getting shingles due to a suppressed immune system, and hospitalization can occur for severe complications.
The association yesterday released its adult vaccination program white paper, in which it cited studies and suggested the government offer subsidized recombinant zoster vaccine for preventing shingles and related complications, and the RSV vaccine to adults.
Taiwan Immunization Vision and Strategy honorary chairperson Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎) said shingles can cause intense nerve pain, possibly even severely disrupting sleep, with significant negative impact on quality of life.
The government is promoting a “Healthy Taiwan,” which focuses not only on boosting life expectancy, but also extending healthy years, he said, adding that the government should consider adding shingles and RSV vaccines into its publicly funded vaccination program alongside the annual flu vaccine.
Lee said the cost-benefit
analysis of government-funded vaccination programs focus on how effective a vaccine is in reducing infections and deaths, and studies have suggested that flu, pneumococcal and shingles vaccines can also reduce cardiovascular disease and dementia risks, demonstrating that health benefits from getting vaccinated have been previously underestimated.
While Taiwan’s regular immunization schedule for newborns and young children has stayed abreast with international public health guidelines, the government’s vaccination program should be expanded to protect people of all ages, he said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) said the government’s vaccination program should be upgraded by pushing forward laws to make it regularized and sustainable, and that adult vaccination should be integrated into the long-term care system, while stable and transparent funding should be established.
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