Vaccination of the elderly is very important to provide the immunity needed to fight and prevent infections, so it is essential that people over the age of 60 pay attention to vaccination schedule and vaccination campaigns, especially influenza campaigns, which are recommended for people over 55 and takes place every year.
The vaccines recommended in the vaccination schedule for the elderly, as determined by the Brazilian Immunization Society in collaboration with the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, are 8: against influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis, yellow fever, viral triple, herpes zoster and meningococcal meningitis. Some of these vaccines are available for free by the Ministry of Health through the SUS, while others can only be purchased from private clinics, such as against shingles, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A.
- The vaccination schedule for the elderly follows the recommendations of the Brazilian Vaccination Society in collaboration with the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology.
- And includes:.
Influenza is a respiratory infection caused by different serotypes of the influenza virus, thus preventing influenza. In addition, as in some cases due to weakening of the immune system and changes in respiratory capacity, which is common as the person ages, influenza-causing viruses can promote the development of complications, such as pneumonia, and therefore the flu vaccine can also prevent this complication.
The flu vaccine is composed of fragments of inactive viruses and therefore there is no risk of causing infection in the person after vaccination, stimulating only the immune system response, and is recommended for people over 55 years of age.
The flu vaccine is offered free of charge by the SUS at health centers, and it is important that the vaccine is administered annually to ensure its protective effect, as the influenza virus is capable of mutating and can therefore become resistant to the virus. previous vaccine. That’s why it’s important for older people to get old people to get old every year during the government’s election campaign to make sure their immune system effectively fights the flu virus. Learn more about the flu vaccine.
The pneumococcal vaccine prevents infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, mainly bacterial pneumonia and meningitis, and prevents strep from spreading through the body and causing a widespread infection of the body.
There are two different types of this vaccine for the elderly, namely 23-valente polysaccharide (VPP23), which contains 23 types of pneumococcal, and 13-valente conjugate (VPC13), which contains 13 types.
This vaccine is available free of charge from the SUS to older people at increased risk of infection, such as those living in nursing homes, for example, and others may be vaccinated in private clinics.
This vaccine offers protection against yellow fever, a dangerous mosquito-borne viral infection and can be given free of charge at SUS health centers. This vaccine is recommended for people living in endemic areas, people traveling to areas affected by the disease or when there is an international requirement, in an area considered at risk.
The yellow fever vaccine should only be given when it is most in need, avoiding use in frail elderly people and people whose immunity is compromised. In fact, the vaccine is made from samples of live attenuated viruses and there is a rare risk of developing a severe reaction, with an image similar to yellow fever, called “visceralization of the virus”.
This vaccine provides protection against the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, also known as meningococcal, which is able to spread through the bloodstream and cause serious infections, such as meningitis and meningococcal disease, when the bacteria responsible for meningitis reaches the bloodstream and causes a widespread infection.
As there are not yet many scientific studies conducted with this vaccine in the elderly, it is generally recommended in some cases of higher risk, such as in epidemic situations of the disease or travel to at-risk areas.
The meningococcal vaccine is only available in private immunization clinics.
Shingles shingles is a disease caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus that can remain lodged in the nerves of the body for several years, and causes the appearance of small red and very painful blisters on the skin. This infection is most common in the elderly and people with weakened immunity, and because it can be very uncomfortable and leave painful sequelae on the skin that can last for years, many older people have opted for prevention.
The shingles vaccine can be applied in private vaccination clinics. Learn more about what it is and how to treat shingles.
This vaccine is available free of charge at health centers, but there is also the triple bacterial vaccine for adults, or dTpa, which in addition to tetanus and diphtheria protects against whooping cough, in addition to the separate tetanus vaccine, which are available in private. Clinical. Immunization.
This is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which is necessary in case of increased risk of contagion, such as epidemics, travel to places of risk, people who have never been infected or who have not received 2 doses of vaccine throughout life.
It is not available free of charge to seniors, except during campaign periods, and a private vaccination clinic is required.
Protection against hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be achieved by separate or combined vaccines for people who are not immune to these diseases, who have never been vaccinated or who do not have a record of vaccines.
SUS can make the hepatitis B vaccine free of charge, but the hepatitis A vaccine is only available in private immunization clinics.