Academician Wen Yumei answers questions about vaccination of the elderly for COVID-19
"Do you know how old I am?" At around 9 a.m. on the 29th, Wen Yumei, a famous virologist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, came to the Community Health Service Center of Beiwaibang Street, Hongkou District, Shanghai for the enhanced vaccine. While waiting for vaccination, she chatted cordially with the elderly sitting next to her: "I am almost 90 years old and I am here to get a booster injection. We elderly people must get vaccinated. I hope you will get a booster injection if you haven't received it before. Those who have received it need to get a booster injection."
On June 29, Academician Wen Yumei encouraged the elderly who are waiting for vaccination. Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Juntian Photo by
Is it necessary to get the reinforcement needle? How effective is the mixing effect?
"While the weather was good in the morning, I came here to get the third dose of the new crown vaccine." Wen Yumei told reporters that she received the inactivated vaccine in the first two doses, and the third dose was the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine. "Enhanced injections can be used to get homologous, and heterologous, but experiments have shown that the effect of getting heterologous is better because the immune factors and cells it mobilizes are different from those of the body, and the mobilization range is larger, so the protection effect is better."
Wen Yumei said that it is very necessary to get a booster injection. "People who have already received the first two injections will forget the virus over time. Enhanced injections can enhance the memory of the immune system." She gave an example. Strengthening immunity is like "deepening impression" in interpersonal communication. The function of strengthening the injections is to deepen the body's "memory" of the virus and "strengthening" the immunity.
Can elderly people with chronic diseases be vaccinated? When is the right time for vaccination?
Currently, many communities are carrying out COVID-19 vaccination work, but some elderly people still have concerns about vaccination because of underlying diseases. Wen Yumei explained that if the elderly have chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, the first thing to do is to look at the severity of the chronic disease. "I have been suffering from hypertension and diabetes for more than 20 years. After taking the medicine in the morning, my blood pressure has been controlled. Judging from the relevant indicators, it is even better than that of young people. If the blood pressure of the elderly is very unstable, I suggest getting vaccinated when the blood pressure is stable. But you can't just stop taking it because you are sick. If the elderly have a stable condition within 1 to 2 months, you can't get vaccinated." Wen Yumei emphasized that everyone's situation is different, and it cannot be generalized. You cannot "one-size-fits-all" in vaccination. You need to analyze the specific situation in detail, especially elderly friends should get the COVID-19 vaccine in a timely manner according to their own situation.
On June 29, Academician Wen Yumei was receiving the enhanced vaccine. Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Juntian photo
Academician Wen Yumei advocates that we should understand the necessity of vaccination for the elderly from a scientific perspective. "For elderly friends, the most important thing in getting the new crown vaccine is to prevent severe illness or even death."
The new crown virus continues to mutate, is vaccination still effective?
Many citizens are concerned that the new coronavirus is constantly mutating. Is it still useful to get vaccinated now? Wen Yumei said that from the current point of view, the vaccine is not ineffective, but de-effect, but is still effective. Wen Yumei believes that the Omickron mutant strain is very special, changing around, but it remains the same as the root. "The mutation of the new coronavirus is local, but it has not changed overall. Therefore, after receiving the new coronavirus vaccine, people may still be infected, but a very important point is that it can reduce the risk of severe illness, which is particularly important for the elderly."
At present, Shanghai is accelerating the promotion of the new coronavirus vaccination for the elderly. Some "vaccination teams" have entered the community, nursing homes, and residences. Yang Yonghua, director of the North Bund Street Community Health Service Center, said: "For the elderly who are willing to vaccinate but are inconvenient to go out, we provide uninterrupted door-to-door services from Monday to Sunday."
Reporter: Zheng Juntian and Gong Wen
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Source: Xinhua News Agency
