It is wrong to think that vaccines are only for children. They save the lives of adults and the elderly alike. An analysis of data provided by the Unified Health System (SUS) shows that there are, on average, 272 thousand cases of hospitalization and more than 71 thousand deaths per year of people over 60 years old due to pneumococcal diseases, caused by the pneumococcus bacteria.
The list includes meningitis, septic arthritis, sinusitis, acute otitis media, conjunctivitis and bronchitis – but pneumonia is the one that most promotes serious hospitalizations in the elderly.
People aged 60 years and over should receive different vaccines, in two doses: the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate (VPC13) and the 23-valent polysaccharide (VPP23). They protect respectively against 13 and 23 types of pneumococci.
VPP23 is available to people over 60 years of age with comorbidities such as diabetes, heart problems, kidney disorders, among other chronic diseases. The 13 is indicated for immunocompromised elderly people, such as HIV carriers, transplant recipients and cancer patients.
Vaccinated children protect their elders
Children from 2 months and before 6 years of age are recommended for routine vaccination with CPV10 or CPV13. Vaccines that were created in the 2000s, therefore, were not received by those who are elderly today. That is why immunization is so important (Source: health.abril.com.br).
The effectiveness of these vaccines is also due to the way they are stored. Keeping them in the temperature range between 2°C and 8°C is essential to preserve their integrity and their immunizing characteristics. These conditions are provided by scientific refrigerators, equipment with specific technology for the correct storage of immunobiologicals.