TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Internal medicine specialist and vaccinologist Dirga Sakti Rambe said vaccination for adults it needs to be done, especially if in childhood they have never been vaccinated at all. Not only that, most vaccines require repetition because they are a continuation of vaccinations in childhood.
“This means that when I was a child I had been vaccinated but as an adult it needs to be repeated because the vaccine protection has run out or needs to be improved again,” said Dirga in a virtual FMB discussion held by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), Thursday, October 15, 2020.
In addition, the urgency of vaccination for adults is an occupational risk, for example in someone who is a doctor. Travel activities are also another reason. For example, the Hajj or Umrah activities require a meningitis vaccine.
There are 15 types vaccine recommended for adults, including Hepatitis A / B and tetanus. Specifically, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic as at this time, citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Dirga said adults need to get vaccinated against influenza and pneumonia.
In principle, a vaccine is a substance which when given to a person will trigger immunity against a specific disease. While in normal circumstances, meaning that without vaccination, an immune person must get sick first.
“But if the illness COVID is a danger, the main concept is that people are immune without having to get sick,” said Dirga.
The main content of the vaccine, Anti-gene, is a component of viruses and bacteria which the body will recognize and form antibodies.
“So, it doesn’t mean that the vaccine contains an attenuated virus or killed bacteria, it’s not always like that. And of course there are other components called adjuvants, to increase the effectiveness of vaccines, there are stabilizer, “said Dirga.
In fact, in making vaccines, safety is prioritized through a long process, starting from research on animals, humans, tens, hundreds, and thousands of people, so that results can be obtained whether the vaccine is safe and effective. Furthermore, citing data from WHO, Dirga said that at least 2-3 million lives are saved every year from diseases that can be prevented from immunization.
“This is a very complex biotechnological process so that after the end result, the safety and quality are guaranteed so that it can be given in bulk,” said Dirga.
Even so, Dirga did not deny that vaccines do have side effects. He said as many as 95 percent of vaccines had very mild or local side effects, namely, pain at the injection site. Sometimes, vaccines can cause fever. However, the fever is a sign that the vaccine is working or a sign that the immune system is stimulated.
“Immunization or vaccination is not just a personal responsibility, we are not talking just to protect ourselves. However, immunization is a social responsibility because people or residents with low immunization coverage can easily spread disease, “said Dirga.
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