Latest version of vaccination guide

Category I vaccines in the national immunization program can be vaccinated within the prescribed time limit. Elderly people over 65 years old, patients with underlying diseases, and people with low immunity are given priority to receive influenza vaccines, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines, and COVID-19 vaccines containing XBB variant antigens. Healthy adults do not need to follow the trend and receive non-essential vaccines. All vaccination arrangements must be determined by doctors based on individual exposure risks and health status. There is no universal "must-do list."

Last week, I accompanied my aunt who suffers from COPD to the community health service center for consultation. She recently watched a short video and saw "5 kinds of vaccines that the elderly must take". She saved 3,000 yuan and planned to take them all. However, after asking about her medical history and recent travel arrangements, the public health doctor who received the consultation only prescribed her this year's vaccine. She was advised not to take the quadrivalent influenza vaccine, the 23-valent pneumonia vaccine, and the latest XBB COVID-19 vaccine. She was advised not to take the remaining vaccines for shingles, hand, foot, and mouth, etc.: "You rarely go to crowded places, and you have no immune deficiency. The cost-effectiveness is too low, so there is no need to spend this money."

There are a lot of debates about the new coronavirus vaccine on the Internet right now. Some people say, "You have tested positive three or four times and the antibodies are enough. If you take it again, you will have to pay an IQ tax." Others say, "As long as there is a new model, you have to take it, otherwise you will definitely get seriously ill." In fact, judging from the latest monitoring data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the main strains currently circulating in China are mutant strains of the XBB series. For people over 65 years old with underlying diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, COPD, etc., the risk of severe illness and death can be reduced by about 78% after receiving the XBB vaccine. This is supported by clear clinical data. However, if you are a young person under the age of 30 with normal immune function, rarely go to closed places, and have no need for frequent contact with high-risk groups, you do not need to go out for revaccination. If you often travel for business, go to the hospital to accompany you, or are engaged in the medical care or cold chain industry, voluntary vaccination is no problem. There is no mandatory requirement for this.

After talking about the COVID-19 vaccine that everyone is most concerned about, let’s talk about the common vaccine questions that are often asked. Many parents are confused whether to give their children free first-class vaccinations or self-paid five-link vaccines and 13-price pneumonia vaccines? In fact, there is really no right or wrong. I have friends with limited budgets who follow the free immunization plan and their babies are healthy. There are also friends who are afraid that their babies will suffer from having to go to the hospital for injections every month. They choose the five-drug regimen, which means they will get 8 fewer injections and spend thousands more. They are all chosen by themselves. I don’t say which one is better. There are many young girls who have been waiting for the nine-price HPV vaccine for three or four years, and are still waiting after they are 26 years old. In fact, clinical practice has long made it clear that as long as it is within the appropriate age range, early vaccination is more important than waiting for a higher price. The four-valent HPV can already cover the two highest risk types of 16 and 18, preventing more than 90% of cervical cancer. There is really no need to wait for the nine-price HPV vaccine and miss the best time for vaccination.

Oh, by the way, there are a few pitfalls that people often step into. I see them a lot when I help with vaccination education in the community: For example, someone who has a cold or fever insists on getting vaccinated because they are afraid of missing the vaccination time. As a result, their body temperature rises even higher after the vaccination and they have to run to the hospital. In fact, as long as there is an acute febrile disease, you have to wait until you are better before getting vaccinated. A delay of ten days and a half does not affect the effect at all. There are also people who want to get a flu shot just after taking the rabies vaccine. They must wait at least 14 days. If they have been vaccinated with immune globulin, they must wait at least 3 months before taking the live attenuated vaccine. Ask these details in advance to avoid a wasted trip. Many people also ask if they can get the flu vaccine if they are allergic to eggs. Current influenza vaccines are all made by splitting technology and contain almost no egg ovalbumin. Unless you have a severe egg allergy (the kind that causes shock after eating eggs), ordinary people who get rash after eating eggs can be vaccinated. If you are really worried, tell your doctor in advance and just stay at the vaccination site for 30 minutes before leaving.

There are still a lot of controversies on the Internet. For example, some people say that "adults must take eight kinds of vaccines every year to be responsible for their health." Others say that "there is no need to take any other vaccines except free ones." In fact, this depends on the situation. If you have immunodeficiency diseases such as rheumatoid, lupus erythematosus, or have been taking hormones or immunosuppressants for a long time, you can indeed receive several more vaccines under the doctor's evaluation to reduce the risk of infection. However, if you are a healthy person who is in good health and does not catch a cold twice a year, it is enough to get a flu vaccine every year and check if the hepatitis B antibody is gone. Hepatitis B vaccine is enough. There is really no need to follow the trend and get a bunch of useless products. Not to mention that it is a waste of money and may have unnecessary adverse reactions.

Oh, by the way, there is another question that everyone has asked eight hundred times: Can I take a shower after being vaccinated? In the past, people said they couldn't wash because they were afraid of infection from the needle hole. Nowadays, vaccination needles are very thin, and the needle hole heals in a few hours. It's perfectly fine to take a normal bath for 6 hours after the injection. Just don't rub the needle hole too hard. You really don't have to wrap your arms and not take a shower for three or four days. It's weird.

Finally, there is really no unified standard answer for vaccination. You don’t need to watch what others are getting and just follow it. If you are not sure, go to the community health service center near your home and ask a public health doctor. Explain your physical condition and recent travel arrangements clearly. The advice given by the doctor will definitely be much more reliable than the fragmented information you read online.