[이데일리 이순용 기자] As the Chuseok holiday approaches, our thoughts are focused on spending a safe and healthy time with our families. However, this Chuseok seems to be approaching differently for all of us who have endured the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in interest in getting vaccinated. This interest is often misunderstood as something that only applies to children or adults. To resolve these misunderstandings, we would like to convey the message that it is more important to protect our health.
From young age to old age, our immunity continues to change and weaken. Vaccines administered at the appropriate time to prepare for weakened immunity as we age are of great help in preventing disease and lowering the mortality rate. We learned about vaccinations that help prevent infectious diseases and maintain a healthy and happy life with Professor Park Jeong-ha of the Department of Family Medicine at Kyung Hee University Hospital.
Q. What is vaccination?
A vaccine is a substance or medicine that allows our body to acquire information about antigens (pathogens, viruses) and develop acquired immunity to resist the disease. Injecting this vaccine for the purpose of preventing disease is called vaccination.
Vaccination types are largely divided into those using live vaccines and killed vaccines. Live vaccines are vaccines made by artificially weakening pathogens, while killed vaccines are vaccines made by inactivating cultured pathogens (bacteria or viruses) by treating them with heat or chemicals. Killed vaccines were created because live vaccines can cause disease in people with weakened immune systems. It can be used safely, but because the immune response is weak, multiple vaccinations may be required.
Even if the elderly receive the same vaccine, the vaccine’s efficacy is lower than that of younger adults. Vaccination in your 60s shows a higher antibody formation rate than vaccination in your 70s or 80s. Therefore, it is best to get the vaccine as soon as possible once you reach the recommended age for vaccination.
Q. Precautions when getting vaccinated?
You may experience fever or muscle pain after vaccination, but if the symptoms are mild, it is not a problem as they will improve on their own within a few days. However, if the symptoms are too severe or serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis occur, you should immediately seek treatment at a hospital. If serious side effects have occurred after previous vaccination, or if you are allergic to certain ingredients, serious side effects may occur after vaccination, so you should inform your medical staff in advance before receiving the vaccine.
Elderly people often have various underlying diseases, and because of this, they often take various medications. You should consult with your doctor before receiving the vaccine and then decide the timing of vaccination to increase the effectiveness of the vaccine and prevent its side effects.
Q. When will I get the influenza vaccination?
Influenza vaccination, commonly called a flu shot, is recommended annually for high-risk groups for influenza, such as children, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases, and for adults over 50 years of age. Antibodies develop in the first week after vaccination and reach their peak in the fourth week, so it is best to get vaccinated before November, when the influenza epidemic begins. Because influenza viruses mutate easily, the World Health Organization creates vaccines by predicting new types of viruses that will become prevalent every year, referring to previous prevalent viruses. Therefore, if a virus different from the expected influenza virus becomes prevalent, the flu may spread.
There are two types of influenza vaccines: a live vaccine that is administered into the nose and an inactivated vaccine that is administered intramuscularly. In general, many killed vaccines are administered. In particular, live vaccines are contraindicated for people at high risk for influenza (immune-compromised people, adults over 50 years old, pregnant women, etc.), so they must be vaccinated with a killed vaccine.
Q. What are the two pneumococcal vaccines?
Pneumonia, the third leading cause of death in Korea, does not cause major problems in young adults, but is fatal or occurs more frequently in older adults. As the aging population accelerates, the death rate is steadily increasing. (Source: 2021 Statistics Korea Cause of Death Statistics) Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) is a representative bacterium that causes pneumonia, and invasive pneumococcal infections, including pneumonia, are prevented through pneumococcal vaccination. It can be reduced.
Adults can receive two types of pneumococcal vaccine: 13-valent protein conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). The 13-valent protein conjugate vaccine protects against relatively few bacteria, but has a long preventive effect and produces high-quality antibodies against pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. The 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine can prevent many types of pneumoniae bacteria.
For healthy people over 65 years of age, it is recommended to receive the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine at least one year after receiving the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine. If you were vaccinated with the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine before the age of 65, you should be re-vaccinated once 5 years after the vaccination. In Korea, one free 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine is provided to seniors aged 65 or older, so if you are 65 or older and have not yet received the pneumococcal vaccine, get vaccinated at a nearby public health center or designated medical institution.
Q. What are live shingles vaccine and genetically modified shingles vaccine?
Shingles is a disease that occurs when the virus dormant in the sensory ganglia is reactivated after infection with the varicella-zoster virus. It is characterized by unilateral development of blisters, severe neuralgia, and abnormal sensations. Post-herpetic neuralgia is a condition in which there is persistent severe pain in the area where shingles occurred, and the pain persists for months to years, greatly reducing the quality of life. Shingles vaccination can reduce the incidence of shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia. The live shingles vaccine is recommended to be administered once to adults over 50 years of age.
Because the live shingles vaccine is a live vaccine, people with weakened immunity may contract shingles after vaccination. Therefore, shingles vaccination is not recommended if you are suffering from an acute illness or have a weakened immune system. The recently released genetically modified shingles vaccine (Shingrix) can be administered relatively safely even to those with weakened immunity due to cancer or organ transplant.
The recombinant shingles vaccine is recommended to be administered in two doses to adults over 50 years of age, and the second dose is administered two months after the first dose. If you suffered from shingles before vaccination, it is recommended that you receive the shingles vaccine 6 to 12 months after recovering from shingles. However, the vaccination schedule may change depending on the health status and underlying disease of the recipient, so consultation with a doctor is necessary.
Professor Park Jeong-ha of the Department of Family Medicine at Kyung Hee University Hospital explains the importance of vaccination.
2023-09-28 00:11:30
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