KOLKATA: Adult vaccination can prevent many diseases as well as reduce risk factors, said doctors of Belle Vue Clinic on Thursday while observing World Immunisation Week 2023.
The founder president of the Indian Society for Adult Immunisation Saurabh Kole, a Cardiologist and Medical Coordinator at Belle Vue Clinic said that vaccination for several diseases not only helps to prevent them but also helps to lower the severity if anybody gets infected.
He also stated that several vaccines need to be administered to elderly persons for pneumonia and influenza. It lowers the risk factors in case the elderly have comorbidity.
“Immunisation is the key component of primary health care and is one of the best investments in support of a healthier and safer world. We have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, said Kole.
Pradip Tondon, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said that in the vaccination drive, many people were administered the first and second doses. But the statistics showed that a large number of people did not take the booster dose. “People need to be aware of the need for vaccination. Both the private and government health institutes have incurred a huge loss due to less number of booster doses being administered. Only about 30 per cent of people had taken the booster dose,” said Tondon.
He further said: “This is the first time when the corporate sector has got involved in such an awareness campaign, including delivery of some vaccination services free of cost. The theme of this year is the ‘Big Catch Up’ and we feel that this awareness generation and vaccinating the missed cases and the hesitant cases is part of our social obligation.”