Warning of increasing disease burden in 2 groups of people

(Dan Tri) - The leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control emphasized that the elderly and people with underlying diseases face a decline in their immune system along with cost barriers and concerns about side effects after vaccination.

At the workshop “Vaccination - A shield to protect the health of the elderly and people with underlying diseases”, which recently took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Nguyen Hong Tam, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), said that the vaccination program for children in Vietnam has achieved many important achievements, contributing to the effective control of infectious diseases.

However, vaccination for adults - especially the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions - is still relatively new.

Director of Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control shares about activities to protect the elderly and people with underlying diseases (Photo: HT).

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Vietnam is currently one of the fastest aging countries in the world . The number of people aged 60 and over is expected to reach about 21 million by 2035.

In Vietnam, the average elderly person has 3-4 underlying medical conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life and are at risk of reducing the number of healthy years they can live. As the population ages and the prevalence of chronic diseases increases, society becomes increasingly vulnerable to preventable infectious diseases.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy Duong, Deputy Director of HCDC, warned that the burden of disease is increasing, as the elderly and people with underlying diseases face age-related immune system decline along with barriers of cost, lack of information and concerns about side effects after vaccination.

Recognizing the importance of protecting this population group, HCDC has developed and implemented a vaccination plan to protect the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions.

The plan includes many practical activities such as: providing professional guidance, completing the pre-vaccination screening checklist and organizing expert workshops to collect comments and suggestions.

Medical staff check the health of the elderly in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: SYT).

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, who played a role in overseeing the UK's vaccination programme from 2017-2022, stressed that a particularly important factor is the recommendation from a doctor or healthcare worker that the patient trusts.

Specifically, every time doctors and nurses come into contact with patients is an opportunity to help people understand and be more proactive about disease prevention in all stages of life.

Vaccination for adults helps reduce hospitalization and re-hospitalization rates directly related to infectious diseases and reduces complications of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases... caused by severe infections.

In the future, standardizing vaccination activities will not only help improve professional capacity but also contribute to strengthening the role of preventive medicine in public health care.

BSCKII Nguyen Hong Tam emphasized that there needs to be a consistent voice throughout the health sector to effectively vaccinate the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, aiming to create the most comprehensive shield for the health of people of all ages.

Action plans will be consulted by HCDC to the Department of Health, including completing vaccination guidelines for the elderly and people with underlying diseases, and adjusting communication strategies so that the community is fully aware of the benefits of this activity.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/canh-bao-ganh-nang-benh-tat-dang-gia-tang-voi-2-nhom-doi-tuong-20251108231722105.htm