Prof. from Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Funda Timurkaynak and Specialist from Memorial Şişli Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Servet Alan gave information about the importance of vaccination for public health during the 24-30 April Vaccination Week.
Every year, the last week of April is celebrated as "World Immunization Week". It is known that a healthy environment, water and food, antibiotics and vaccines contribute greatly to a healthy and long human life. Vaccines contribute to the formation of immunity against the diseases they target, and prevent or alleviate many diseases. Various vaccines are administered at different ages, both in adults and children. However, it is important for public health to administer certain vaccines on different travel routes.
Vaccination saves millions of lives every year
Every year, billions of dollars are spent by governments on preventable diseases. In a study conducted in the United States, the amount of money spent on vaccine-preventable diseases such as flu, pneumonia, shingles and whooping cough was calculated as 26 billion dollars. In fact, these diseases, which can be prevented with simple vaccines, result in a cost to both hospitals and doctors, as well as treatment efforts, as well as costs to patients.
It has been determined that hospitalization and loss of life due to pneumonia and flu increase by 65 times in people aged 6 and over. Side effects due to pneumonia and flu increase with age, but people who receive the pneumonia vaccine recover from the disease more easily and the rate of hospitalization or death decreases.
Pneumonia vaccine, especially with healthy individuals aged 65 and over; Vaccination is also important for heart and diabetes patients, those with chronic bronchitis in the lungs, those who use drugs that suppress body resistance for any reason, organ transplant patients, bone marrow transplant patients, or people receiving chemotherapy for reasons such as leukemia, lymphoma or cancer. If the flu vaccine is administered to similar groups of patients, hospitalization and loss of life are minimized. It is recommended to get the flu vaccine every October.
Shingles vaccine can be vaccinated for people over 65 years of age
There are different vaccines for each period and age. Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, measles, meningococcal, Hepatitis B, chickenpox, influenza (flu) and pneumococcal vaccines are routine vaccines that must be up-to-date according to the patient's age and medical characteristics and are not specifically related to travel. In our country, routine vaccinations are carried out against 13 diseases in the childhood vaccination calendar. These; diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, H. influenza type B, tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and pneumococcus (pneumonia) vaccines.
There are not only routine vaccines, but also vaccines that are recommended but not included in the vaccination calendar. One of them is the Shingles vaccine. Shingles is very painful and secondary bacterial infections can also be seen with widespread infection after shingles, especially in patients aged 65 and over and whose body resistance is suppressed. In particular, pain can last for months. The shingles vaccine, prepared by increasing the dose of the chickenpox virus, is recommended for adults over the age of 65. In our country, there is a shingles vaccine containing a high dose of weakened virus, and it is expected that an inactive vaccine prepared with virus protein will be used in the near future. It is reported that this new vaccine can be used more safely in patients with suppressed body resistance and creates a better immune response. Even if you had chickenpox in childhood, the shingles virus can be reactivated in the nerve endings and reappear. It is recommended to get the shingles vaccine to minimize the damage and pain during this process.
Pay attention to vaccination before traveling
During travels, various disease factors are encountered in the countries and regions visited. Before traveling, it is very important to learn about the diseases seen in the region you will visit and the ways to prevent them, and to apply these precautions before, during and after the travel, if necessary, and it can be life-saving. Healthy water and food consumption, hygiene conditions, and protection from insects such as mosquitoes and ticks prevent the risk of contracting many diseases during travels. The most effective way to protect against some of these diseases is vaccines.
Vaccines for typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, meningococcus ACWY, meningococcal B, influenza (flu), tuberculosis, yellow fever, Dengue fever, tick-borne encephalitis are recommended according to the age of the patient, the region to be visited, the activities to be involved and the risks to be exposed. .
Vaccinations that are mandatory when entering some countries, depending on country or international health regulations, are yellow fever, meningococcal ACWY and polio vaccines. If young children go to a high-risk area for diseases such as measles, they may need to be vaccinated at the youngest age suitable for vaccination. Live vaccines should be administered on the same day or 28 days apart. Oral live vaccines such as typhoid, polio, and rotavirus can be administered at any time. It is recommended that there be a month between the yellow fever vaccine and the measles vaccine in order for the yellow fever vaccine and measles vaccine to create an adequate immune response.
Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for patients with liver disease or immunosuppression, regardless of the region to be visited. Polio persists in some countries. Travelers to these areas must have updated vaccinations. Some countries may require polio vaccination and an international vaccination certificate as a condition for entry into the country.
Travel vaccinations can be listed as follows:
Yellow fever:Recommended for people 9 months and older traveling to yellow fever areas in Africa and South America. In most people, a single dose of vaccine produces long-term immunity and a booster dose is usually not necessary.
Meningococcus:Its bacteria can cause epidemics, serious infections such as meningitis affecting the brain membranes, disability and death. Meningococcal vaccine is applied to people in crowded environments such as barracks and dormitories, and in cases of certain diseases and treatments that cause immunodeficiency. This vaccine is recommended for travel to regions such as the countries called the meningitis belt in Sub-Saharan Africa, where meningococcal carriage and disease are more common. The risk is higher in this region between December and June. Those who go on Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages are required to have meningococcal vaccination and have a record showing that meningococcal vaccination has been administered.
Typhoid:Typhoid fever is a disease seen all over the world. It is more common in the Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, South Asia, Central and South America. Typhoid vaccination is recommended for those traveling to areas where the disease is common, especially if they will stay in these areas for more than a month.
Hepatitis A:It is applied to those who go to countries and regions where the disease is common. It is preferred to apply 4 weeks before travel. A booster dose is given after 6 months.
Rabies:Those traveling to some high-risk regions, some professionals such as veterinarians, and those who may not be able to access vaccination and medical care in the destination region can be given 4 doses of rabies vaccine as a preventive measure before travel, with the recommendation of the relevant physician. In case of contact with suspected rabies, an additional dose may be administered.
Cholera:Cholera disease can be seen in some African and Asian countries and Central and South American countries. This vaccine is not recommended for anyone traveling to these regions. By consuming healthy food and water and complying with hygiene rules, the risk of disease will be very low. Cholera vaccine is administered orally twice, 7-14 days apart, and provides a high level of protection, especially in the first 6 months. Cholera vaccination is not mandatory for entry into any country.
Hepatitis B:It is among the routine childhood vaccines in our country. It is a vaccine recommended for everyone who is not immune. If traveling to countries where hepatitis B is more common, it is especially recommended to do so in cases where there is a possibility of blood and body fluids contact and sexual contact.