In winter and spring, health protection for “old and old” people who are at high risk of respiratory disease remains the focus of social attention。
The “old and old” are the core vulnerable groups for respiratory diseases. The immune system for children, especially infants, is not yet mature, and the incidence of respiratory infections is higher than for the general population; the immune function of older persons is reduced, underlying diseases are more common, and infection can develop into serious diseases and even causes complications. Vaccination against respiratory diseases, such as influenza and pneumococcus, is the internationally recognized most economical and effective means of preventing related diseases, reducing the risk of serious illness and death, and is the first line of defence for the health of key populations。
In the context of declining fertility and increasing population ageing, it is particularly urgent to accelerate vaccination coverage for “older and younger” respiratory diseases and to improve health levels. However, due to price factors, inadequate access to vaccinations and limited recognition of the value of vaccines, the related vaccination rates in the country have long been low. Pandemic influenza vaccination coverage is around 3 per cent a year, and the rate of three doses of pneumococcal vaccine for our children is only 7. 3 per cent, far below the global average (47. 9 per cent)。
At the same time, insufficient vaccination against “old and small” respiratory diseases translates avoidable diseases into consumption of high-frequency medical resources. Every winter and spring, we have a high incidence of respiratory diseases, with a particularly high concentration of infections among the elderly and infants and a high rate of hospitalization, leading to recurring problems of institutional stress and rising expenditures from health insurance funds in line with the burden of family medicine。
At present, the lack of a clear “one-size-fits-all” vaccine that incorporates standards, implementation paths and dynamic adjustment mechanisms makes it difficult for local governments to systematically advance priority vaccination efforts and there is uncertainty about policy implementation. The burden of respiratory diseases is particularly high among children, especially in the west and low-resource areas, but the marked low vaccination rate creates a structural contradiction of “high risk of disease — low prevention coverage”, and regional imbalances in vaccinations are prominent。
Protecting the health of an “old and small” family is the foundation for safeguarding the well-being of the nation's public health. In this context, universal access to “one-size-fits-all” vaccines for respiratory diseases should be strengthened。
First, a “one-size-fits-all” vaccine referral mechanism for respiratory diseases should be established. The department of disease prevention and control shall establish and update annually and in a dynamic manner the list of recommended vaccines against “old and old” respiratory diseases to provide clear guidelines for scientific vaccinations; strengthen the integration of medical care, with clinical advice from relevant medical doctors, such as paediatricians and geriatricians, in conjunction with contracted services of family doctors and community health promotion, and raise public awareness of the relevant vaccines。
Second, regions in a position to do so are encouraged to try first, to incorporate the population's desperate respiratory disease vaccine into local pro-people projects, and to explore the development of a free-of-charge vaccination pilot for respiratory vaccines, such as pneumocococcal and influenza, and to develop replicable and replicable practical experiences。
Finally, strengthening top-level policy and financial support. It is recommended that the state introduce free vaccination campaigns against “one old and one small” respiratory diseases in the west and in low-resource areas, inter alia, through dedicated central financial support, with a view to improving health levels in the west and low-resource areas, and accelerating the completion of public health panels in the regions, benefiting more priority populations. (the author is the representative of the national people's congress and dean of the institute of linguistic culture and international education of the liuzhou institute of engineering)
Editor: zhang xiaojun, zhang yan ling
