During the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been going on for more than 2 years, the whole community has started talking about vaccinations. Evidently, with vaccination, the world can finally “conquer” this pandemic, although not completely.
Once the importance of vaccination and immunization in saving human lives in the world, and this has been proven for decades. Immunization not only protects us from certain diseases, but also protects others because they are also protected. The higher the immunization coverage in an area, the stronger the protection.
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Immunizations Save Millions
In the context of World Immunization Week 2022, we are reminded again about the importance of complete immunization. The Indonesian Allergy Immunology Association (PERALMUNI) together with the Vaccines Business Unit at Sanofi Indonesia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkes RI) and the Indonesia Influenza Foundation (IIF) held a webinar on April 14, 2022, in order to increase public awareness of the importance of complete immunization, especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof. explained. dr. Cissy B Kartasasmita, SpA(K)., M.SC., Ph.D as Chair of the Indonesia Influenza Foundation (IIF), immunization is one of the health success stories in an effort to save millions of lives every year.
“Immunization is one of the best effective health investments. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of the benefits of immunization to fight disease, save lives, and create a healthier, safer and more prosperous future. For that, going forward, a good immunization system is needed to ensure that everyone can be protected from COVID-19 and various other diseases,” he explained.
Dr. dr. Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, DHSM, MARS., Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P), the Indonesian Ministry of Health, emphasized that immunization not only reduces the risk of illness, disability and death related to infectious diseases, but also helps support national priorities such as education and economic development. .
Success in increasing immunization coverage will have an impact on reducing mortality and morbidity as well as medical costs.
Currently, there are various useful immunizations available to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases. Immunization currently prevents 2 to 3 million deaths each year from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles.
In the span of 2020-2030, it is estimated that immunization will save more than 32 million lives, of which 28 million are children under the age of 5 years.
Read also: Is Influenza Immunization Needed for Babies?
Increasing Immunization Pursuit and Expanding Adult Immunization Coverage
Prof. Dr. dr. Sri Rezeki Hadinegoro, Sp.A(K), Chair of the National Immunization Expert Advisory Committee (ITAGI) said basic immunization is important for infants and children up to 18 months of age to protect against various dangerous diseases.
According to Prof. Sri Rezeki, to increase the immunization coverage that is left behind, it is recommended to pursue immunization (catch-up immunization). Education for parents is important to understand that their children must catch up on immunizations that are left behind. One of the efforts to pursue immunization is the administration of combination vaccines and multiple injections.
Immunization is not only important for infants and children, but also adults to be protected from various diseases. Prof. Dr. dr. Iris Rengganis, Sp.PD-KAI., Head of PERALMUNI said that immunization is still needed when a person reaches adulthood. Especially in the midst of a pandemic situation, immunization is increasingly important to better protect the population against COVID-19.
Some important immunizations for adults include flu vaccination which is one effective way to reduce the spread of the influenza virus. “Influenza vaccination can prevent coinfection with COVID-19 virus infection which can lead to serious complications,” explained Prof. Iris.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO recommends influenza vaccination for vulnerable populations such as health workers, the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with certain chronic medical conditions.
Not only the flu vaccine, it is very important for the community not to forget the importance of giving other routine immunizations for adults, such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Tdap and PCV.
Read also: Recommendations for Child Immunization during the Covid-19 Pandemic
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