WEBINAR: VACCINES – TRENDING FOR THE SEASON
On the 20 th of September, another edition of the sequence “School for vaccines” was held that is in partnership with UNICEF and WHO in Bulgaria.
Professor PhD Boris Bogov, head of the internal medicine clinic to University Multi-Profile Hospital for Active Treatment “Sveta Anna”, Sofia, presented the topic “Indications and counterindications for immunization of people with renal diseases”..
“Renal diseases are often called the “silent killer” because of the absence of symptoms during the earlier disease stages when treatment has higher success rates”. It proves that Bulgaria ranks among the first compared to the other European countries when it comes to renal diseases. Bulgaria ranks last when it comes to life expectancy – 74.4 years. Around 13-14% are the Bulgarians with chronic renal diseases whereas the average per cent in Europe is around 9%.
“On daily basis, we encounter patients who never knew they have a kidney problem”, professor Bogov shares. Oftentimes this is due to the fact that some people have never met their general practitioner in their lifetime and they have no health culture.
WHAT IS CHRONIC DISEASE?
The chronic kidney disease (CKD) is permanent damage of renal function and/or structure that lasts long enough – over 3 months. “We already call chronic diseases “pandemics””, professor Bogov declared.
Via mass screening, regular examinations by the general practitioner or nephrologist and timely prophylactic measures renal health could be preserved, the specialist reminded.
There are three risk groups for patients with renal diseases.
The first ones – these are people with present renal disease including with deteriorated renal function, calculated glomerular filtration of <30 ml/min.
The second group in Bulgaria (more than 3500 people) – these are patients with chronic renal disease at the last, fifth stage.
The third group consists of patients with kidney transplants.
Bogov underlined that vaccination against pneumococcal, Haemophilus infuenze and flu is recommended yet we should carefully approach live vaccines since there is risk of vaccine-related disease.
He presented data from Israel according to which the chronic renal disease and immunosuppression have negative impact on vaccines’ efficiency which demonstrates that the disturbed memory of the B- cells also results in lowered protection.
RISKS OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES’ DISSEMINATION WITH THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
The next lecturer in “School for vaccines” – doctor Hristiana Batselova, doctor of medicine, specialist in Epidemiology of infectious diseases, presented the topic “Risks of vaccine-preventable diseases’ dissemination at the onset of the new school year”.
“The end of summer notes the start of an elevated morbidity rate due to COVID-19 and we expect new peak of disease”, doctor Batselova shared.
Seasonal flu, varicella, measles, parotitis, rubella are the others that get frequently disseminated after the end of the summer season.
According to the scientific reports, COVID-19 has the highest risk among children with chronic diseases, whereas the highest risk of severe progression in risky children is attributable to the presence of diabetes type 1, obesity and chronic kidney insufficiency.
“As of January and February we expect that seasonal flu would result in epidemics. Nevertheless, this does not mean that it does not disseminate beforehand. Disease could progress smoothly yet in the case of other people they may have to be hospitalized and even lethal outcome is possible”, the doctor declared.
Batselova ruled out the myth presented to society that small children do not get severely infected with flu so they need not get vaccinated. “Precisely young children aged below 5 are in the risky group of disease progression hence having the vaccine is recommended“.
She reminded us that October is the most suitable time for having the flu vaccine administered since it takes around two weeks to develop protection.
„One of the most underestimated diseases – this is varicella”. The most impacted ones are children whereas in 90 % of the cases this happens before turning 15. The average morbidity rate from the Varicella zoster infection for the period of 2000 2018 in the Plovdiv region was 449, 58 per 100 000.
Varicella vaccine should be administered after turning 12 months, according to the recommendations.
Doctor Batselova paid attention to the hepatitis A disease after reminding us that it is transferred after swallowing polluted food and water or via direct contact with infected person. Almost every person fully recovers from hepatitis A with lifelong immunity even though death cases have been registered. According to the reports prepared by the National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases decline of patients was reported that is greatly due to administering the vaccine.
