Four Questions about Vaccination for the Elderly —— An investigation report from the front line of epidemic prevention and control
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 18th: Four Questions about Vaccination for the Elderly — — Investigation report from the front line of epidemic prevention and control
Xinhua news agency reporter
90.37%, which is the proportion of people who have completed the whole vaccination of Covid-19 vaccine in China; 86.6% and 66.4%, respectively, are the proportion of people over 60 years old and over 80 years old who have completed the whole vaccination.
With the weakening of pathogenicity in Omicron, the popularization of vaccination and the accumulation of prevention and control experience, China’s epidemic prevention and control is facing a new situation and new task.
The comprehensive group of joint prevention and control mechanism in the State Council optimized the implementation of the "New Ten Articles" of epidemic prevention and control, and accelerated the Covid-19 vaccination for the elderly. The Central Economic Work Conference just held also proposed that we should optimize epidemic prevention and control measures according to the current situation, conscientiously implement various measures for epidemic prevention and control in the new stage, focus on the prevention and control of the elderly and groups suffering from basic diseases, and strive to maintain health and prevent severe diseases.
Why should we emphasize the necessity of vaccination for the elderly? Does vaccination work? Is vaccination safe? The reporter launched an investigation on the front line of epidemic prevention and control.
On December 15th, at the COVID-19 Vaccination Point in Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, medical staff vaccinated the elderly with COVID-19 vaccine. Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Chaoshe
How necessary — — The defense line of the elderly group is relatively fragile.
Li Cuiwen, 78, lives in a remote village in the central province. Children are all in the city. On weekdays, they send rice flour oil, and the vegetables are grown in their own fields. They go to the town to catch a gathering once a month.
"I can’t see outsiders." Li Cuiwen and his wife have not been vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccine so far. "Is everyone fighting, even if we don’t fight, we can’t infect us?"
Li Cuiwen is not the only one who has similar questions. In this regard, Xia Gang, director of the Department of Health and Immunity of the National Bureau for Disease Control and Prevention, said that there are quite a few disabled and semi-disabled people in China who live at home for a long time and rarely go out, but they may still be infected when they are accompanied by relatives or visited by relatives.
Compared with the previous strains in Covid-19, the pathogenicity of Omicron is weakening, but the infectivity is becoming stronger. The extremely fast transmission speed is multiplied by China’s huge population base. Even if the severe illness rate and mortality rate are already very low, the number of people at risk should not be underestimated.
During the epidemic in Shanghai from March to June this year, compared with those who were not vaccinated, the death risk of people over 60 years old who completed the booster immunization was reduced by 98.08%, and that of people over 80 years old who completed the booster immunization was reduced by 95.83%.
At the press conference of the State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held recently, Xia Gang introduced that according to the research, if the elderly over 80 years old are not vaccinated with one dose of vaccine, the risk of death after being infected with Covid-19 is about 14.7%; If one dose of vaccine is inoculated, the risk of death will be reduced to 7.16%; If three doses of vaccine are inoculated, the risk of death will be reduced to 1.5%.
"I strongly call for accelerating the vaccination of vaccines, especially for vulnerable people such as the elderly." Zhong Nanshan, an academician of China Academy of Engineering, said.
On December 15th, two groups of communities were prepared in Kangmei Street, Liangjiang New District, Chongqing, and the medical staff of the community health service center checked the information of the elderly who had been vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine. Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Weishe
How effective is it — — Survey data show that the risk of severe illness can be greatly reduced.
In Chongqing, Zhang, an 84-year-old rehabilitation patient, told reporters that he suffered from many basic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. He completed the third dose of vaccination in July this year and was infected with Covid-19 in November. After treatment, his condition was effectively controlled and he has been discharged.
On December 16th, in the home of residents in Honghe Road Community, Zhongshan Road Street, Yongchuan District, Chongqing, the mobile vaccination team conducted pre-vaccination consultation and physical examination for the vaccinated elderly. Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Weishe
"Studies at home and abroad confirm that vaccination has a good effect in preventing serious illness and death." Xia Gang said that after being infected with Covid-19, the elderly are more likely to develop into severe illness or even death, and Covid-19 vaccine will benefit the most.
At most, beijing ditan hospital has treated more than 100 COVID-19 patients over 80 years old. Chen Xiaoyou, vice president of the hospital, said that the vaccination rate of these elderly patients is generally low, and the incidence of severe illness after illness is relatively high, especially in COVID-19, which is aggravated by basic diseases.
COVID-19 Designated Treatment Hospital in Hefei — — Ding Zhen, director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Hefei Binhu Hospital, told the reporter: "For some elderly people with basic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, Covid-19 infection may aggravate the inflammatory reaction in the body, aggravate the condition of the basic diseases, and even lead to multiple organ failure."
Ding Zhen introduced that from the observation of their clinical treatment, the elderly who have been vaccinated are less likely to get worse and the time required for nucleic acid to turn negative is shorter.
In October, 2022, The Lancet Infectious Diseases published a research result based on the real-world vaccination population, which was released by the relevant research team of School of Public Health, Li Ka-shing Medical College, HKU. The study shows that the effective rate of preventing severe illness is about 70% for the elderly over 60 years old who are vaccinated with two injections of domestic inactivated vaccine, and the effective rate of preventing severe illness is over 95% after the third injection of intensive immunization.
On December 13th, in the Community Health Service Center of Baihedong Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou, medical staff made information entry and consultation for the elderly residents who came to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua photo
Security geometry — — Make clear the taboo of vaccination and ensure safety to the greatest extent.
In the past few days, in Huanghuagang Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, the average number of elderly people who take the initiative to consult and make an appointment for vaccination has exceeded 300, which is significantly higher than usual.
Yu Shu and Ye Yi, who live in Nongben community, had concerns about vaccination because of their basic diseases. After many door-to-door publicity by community workers and volunteers, Ye Yi was vaccinated under the health monitoring of doctors, and there were no adverse reactions. The next day, Uncle Yu also completed the vaccination. "Now I know that the previous concerns are redundant."
On December 12th, in Guanggang New Town, Liwan District, Guangzhou, elderly residents got off the convenient vaccination vehicle after receiving COVID-19 vaccine. Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua photo
The reporter found in many places that the enthusiasm of the elderly for vaccination has improved significantly recently, but some elderly people are still worried about the safety of vaccines. Many elderly people admitted to reporters that they were mainly worried that "they are old and have basic diseases, which will bring adverse reactions after vaccination".
"Chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are not absolute taboos for vaccination in Covid-19. As long as these chronic diseases are well controlled and in a stable period, Covid-19 vaccine can be vaccinated." Zheng Zhongwei, director of the Science and Technology Development Center of the National Health and Wellness Commission and head of the working group of the vaccine research and development special class of the the State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism, said.
According to the situation of vaccine research and development and the practice of vaccination, the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council has defined the vaccination taboos of the elderly in the Work Plan for Strengthening Covid-19 Vaccination for the Elderly, including four types of situations in which vaccination cannot be carried out or postponed. At the same time, local health departments should implement the "four haves" requirement that vaccination units should have emergency personnel stationed in general hospitals with level 2 or above, emergency equipment and medicines, 120 ambulances on duty, and green channels for treatment in general hospitals with level 2 or above to ensure vaccination safety.
Step by step to carry out training on judging vaccination contraindications, and guide medical staff to scientifically judge vaccination contraindications; Well-known doctors from various specialties were transferred to form a vaccination consultation expert group to patiently answer various consultation questions … … Many places are refining the work of answering questions and doubts to eliminate the doubts of vaccination for the elderly to the greatest extent.
How convenient is it — — The "last 100 meters" is constantly getting through.
Every Tuesday and Saturday afternoon, it is the day when the "Medical Qingqi Team" comes to the door for vaccination in Pingguoyuan Street, Shijingshan District, Beijing. The "Medical Qingqi Team" consists of 5 to 6 street, community workers and medical staff, and is divided into two groups, each group can enter about 12 households.
"Conduct a health assessment first, ask the elderly whether they have basic diseases, look at past medical history, etc., and confirm whether the elderly are suitable for vaccination." Luo Yan, one of the medical staff of the "Medical Qingqi Team" and the medical department of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, said, "After the assessment, we will further communicate with our family members, and after the family members agree, they will sign an informed consent form and vaccinate."
Similar situations have appeared in many places recently. A special session of Covid-19 vaccination was held in Jinbi Yayuan Community, Baiyun District, Guangzhou. 63-year-old Ms. Liu suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. The medical staff inquired about her physical indicators in detail. After assessing that she met the vaccination requirements, she was instructed to take the third shot of vaccine.
On December 10th, He Lingling (left), a nurse from Fangmiao Street Community Health Service Center, vaccinated the elderly in the community with COVID-19 vaccine at COVID-19 vaccination site in Yaohai District, Hefei. Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Chenshe
Li Zizhen, director of the immunization room of the Community Health Service Center of Dongcheng Sub-district Office in jieshou city, Anhui Province, told the reporter that twenty or thirty elderly people have come to get Covid-19 vaccine every day recently, and the telephone number for consultation is also from morning till night. A mobile door-to-door vaccination service team was set up in the local area, equipped with first-aid equipment and medicines, and came to the door at any time.
Set up green channels for the elderly, temporary inoculation points and mobile inoculation vehicles; Medical staff with rich experience in diagnosis, treatment and vaccination are selected to form vaccination teams, carrying common equipment and medicines needed during post-vaccination observation, and providing home vaccination services for disabled and semi-disabled elderly people … … Many places are optimizing various convenience measures as required, and getting through the "last 100 meters" for the elderly.
For the country’s 267 million elderly people over the age of 60, every 1 percentage point increase in vaccination rate means that more than 2 million people have built a barrier against serious illness and death. "The Spring Festival is coming, and now vaccination usually takes half a month to be effective, which is of great benefit to prevent large-scale spread when people go home and a large number of people migrate during the Spring Festival in Spring Festival travel rush." Zhong Nanshan said.