Vaccination Guidelines 2024 Latest Edition

There is no need to blindly follow the trend and vaccinate all newly launched vaccines. Prioritize 3-5 high-priority injections based on age, underlying disease conditions, and occupational exposure risks. The total annual vaccination expenditure for ordinary healthy people should be controlled within 2,000 yuan, which can cover the vast majority of severe risks.

Last week, I accompanied my 62-year-old mother to the community health service center to get the quadrivalent influenza vaccine. I met a 58-year-old aunt who had just received the recombinant herpes zoster vaccine. She was also asking the nurse if she could make an appointment for the RSV vaccine that had just been released for the elderly. She then said that she planned to get a new pneumococcal vaccine next month. The public health doctor who attended the clinic persuaded her for a long time - the aunt had no underlying medical conditions and usually just danced square dances to pick up her grandson. Except for influenza and shingles, there was really no need to rush to get vaccinated.

In fact, there are currently two different directions for adult vaccination in the public health circle. One group supports "receiving all approved vaccines", which mainly targets high-risk groups such as those with immune deficiencies, those with serious underlying diseases, and those undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy to reduce the risk of infection as much as possible.； The other group advocates "risk-matched vaccination", which means that ordinary healthy people only need to be matched with high-risk infection sources that they may encounter. There is no need to waste money for extremely low infection probability. Both views are actually correct, but the suitable groups are different.

The most asked questions recently are respiratory-related vaccines. After all, in the past two years, colds have been common in autumn and winter. This year’s influenza vaccine has the option of a quadrivalent live attenuated vaccine. In the past, everyone basically used the inactivated vaccine. If you have a child under 6 years old who has never had influenza before, and has no problems such as asthma or immune deficiency, you can choose the attenuated nasal spray. The protective power is about 10% higher than the inactivated one. There is no need for injections, and the child will not suffer. Oh, by the way, you need to get the flu vaccine every year. Don’t think that if you got it last year, you don’t need to get it this year. The strains mutate every year, and the antibodies from last year are basically useless against this year’s new strain. As for the RSV vaccine that has just been launched, there is no unified conclusion in the industry: some experts believe that all people over 60 years old should get it. After all, the rate of severe pneumonia in the elderly caused by RSV is no lower than that of influenza. ； Some experts also believe that healthy elderly people with no underlying diseases need not worry. After all, the price is still relatively high when it first comes on the market, and it will be too late to wait until they are covered by medical insurance. Young people, unless they are in professions such as medical care and early childhood education that often come into contact with the elderly and weak, will not be able to join in the fun.

After talking about the respiratory tract, let’s talk about the HPV and shingles vaccines that many people have postponed for several years. It has been almost two years since the HPV age limit was extended to 9-45 years old, but there are still many people who have been waiting for the appointment. There is a 32-year-old sister next to me who has been waiting for the nine-price test for three years. Some time ago, a physical examination revealed a transient infection with HPV type 16, and she regretted it very much. Really, if you are over 30 years old, there is no need to wait for the nine-price vaccine. The protection rate of the bivalent vaccine against the most dangerous types 16 and 18 is exactly the same as that of the nine-price vaccine. Early vaccination and early protection are better than anything else. As for the herpes zoster vaccine, there are two types: attenuated and recombinant. The protection rate of the recombinant can reach more than 90%, and the protection period is at least 10 years. It is a bit expensive, about 1600 for two shots. ； The two shots of attenuated virus only cost more than 300, and the protection rate is about 70%. People with immune deficiencies cannot take it. My uncle was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year, so he chose the recombinant one. My aunt is 55 years old and has a strong body. She can climb a mountain faster than a young person, so she chose the attenuated one. Both choices are right. Just choose according to your physical condition and budget.

Oh, by the way, don’t believe the marketing words on the Internet that “you will never get sick if you get the vaccine.” I got the flu shot last year, but the fever went away after a day, and I didn’t have any complications like pneumonia. The doctor said that this is the role of the vaccine—preventing severe illness is more important than preventing infection. Some people think that if you were vaccinated as a child, you don’t need to get vaccinated again in your life. Among other things, if you find that the antibody titer of the hepatitis B vaccine is less than 10, you still need to get a booster shot. Especially for people who often eat out and have hepatitis B carriers at home, don’t take it seriously.

If you are really not sure what vaccination you should take, don’t read all kinds of anxious posts on the Internet. Go directly to the vaccination desk at the community health service center near your home and ask. Make it clear about your age, whether you have any underlying diseases, and whether you have frequent contact with the elderly and children. The advice given by the doctor is more reliable than anything else. By the way, you don’t have to go to a third-party platform to pay more to get the vaccine. Join a community health service center’s vaccination group. Many vaccines will be notified in the group in advance when they arrive. I used to help my sister make an appointment for nine prices through the community group. It was almost 300 yuan cheaper than the third-party platform.

To put it bluntly, vaccines are to buy insurance for your health. There is no need to waste money for the so-called "full coverage", and don't just take chances and not get all the vaccines you should. The one that suits you is the best.