By: Yhanna Gleighnix Santiago
Immunity is the protection from an infectious disease. If you are immune to a disease, you can be exposed to it without becoming infected. A vaccine is a product that stimulates a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose. So now, what is the difference between vaccination and immunization? Vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease. While immunization is a process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Immunizations are one of the most effective ways to combat morbidity and mortality associated with infectious disease (Pilkinton & Talbot, 2015).
Just like our beloved children, senior citizens also need to be immunized for the purpose of protecting themselves against certain illnesses and diseases. Numerous preventable diseases can bring about serious illness and even death in senior citizens who fail to get the proper vaccinations. In fact, 45,000 adults die every year from complications due to vaccine-preventable diseases, says John Muir Health. Older people undergo an age-related decline in immune responses resulting in greater susceptibility to infection and reduced responses to vaccination.
The COVID-19 vaccine in Cavite was implemented with the help of vaccine developers, scientists, and experts with an objective to save the lives of million people. For the process to be vaccinated, first you must register with the municipality, save the documents that can be used as proof of comorbidity. Next is the final consultation which will help you to understand better the benefits of having the vaccine. Third is the screening. Screening is the process of studying the patient's overall state of health for any contraindications, and as a precaution before the vaccine administration. These screening questionnaires, as stated above, are used as preventive measures towards any adverse reaction. Fourth is the process of immunization or where the vaccine is administered. A vaccine activates our immune system without making us sick, and many dangerous infectious diseases can be prevented in this simple and effective way. And the last process is where you will be monitored after accepting the vaccine in your body. This is to recognize how your body will react to the following chemicals of the vaccine. Although screening and proper study and test is done, there are still some side-effects or reactions that cannot be prevented, as the body naturally do this whenever a foreign substance is introduce in our system, and the most common reactions are pain at the injection site (swelling of muscles around the injection site), fatigue, headache, and muscle aches (overall body). As these symptoms are commonly seen and reported with other vaccines. With a few people also reporting of experiencing fever and nausea.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle depends greatly on exercise and diet, to be sure. But it also depends a lot on the immunizations you get and how well you adhere to the schedule. If you have questions about vaccines or are anxious of them in any way, talk to your doctor or home health care team. They can show you the benefits to immunizations, especially in older adults. Just like infants and children, seniors are much more susceptible to certain diseases than the general population. One small sickness can lead to death such as in the case of the flu, so it is important to protect yourself now.
References:
Provincial Government of Cavite. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/359777604094692/posts/5247783205294083/
PICAD Cavite. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/299721933449296/posts/4090887120999406/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Immunization: the basics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/imz-basics.htm
Pilkinton M. A., Talbot H. K. (2015). Update on vaccination guidelines for older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(3), 584-588.
John Muir Health. (2021). Senior immunizations. Retrieved from https://www.johnmuirhealth.com/health-education/health-wellness/Immunizations/senior-immunizations.html
Pawelec G. (n.d.). Age and immunity: what is ‘immunosenescence’? Exp Gerontol 2018; 105: 4-9.
AAFP Foundation. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine. Retrieved from https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/current-hot-topics/recent-outbreaks/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine.html?cmpid=nCoV_ce_cme_clinicalrec_van_vaccine
Wise A. (2020). Why self-care is important during COVID-19 – especially for health care workers. Retrieved from https://healthydebate.ca/2020/04/topic/pandemic-self-care/
Michigan Medicine. (2021). Importance of physical activity and exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Department of Psychiatry. Retrieved from https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/michigan-psychiatry-resources-covid-19/your-lifestyle/importance-physical-activity-exercise-during-covid-19-pandemic
Jacobson R. (n.d.). Self-care in the time of coronavirus. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/self-care-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/
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