Apr
25,
2019
Apr 25, 2019
World Immunization Week is upon us and aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
“Immunization saves millions of lives every year and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, there are still nearly 20 million unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in the world today.” states the World Health Organization website.
This year, the theme of the World Immunization Week is Protected Together: Vaccines Work!1 and the campaign will celebrate Vaccine Heroes from around the world.
Vaccines save lives… and they’re not just for children!
Adults need vaccines throughout their lives too, although many of them are not aware of the immunization they may need. There are different vaccines and boosters that are recommended for adults2, depending on our age, life stage (e.g. an expectant mother), susceptibility, and medical conditions.
It is also worth noting that vaccines aren’t only for your protection, crucially they also help take care of your loved ones. They protect the people closest to you, especially those who are at higher risk of developing complications from certain diseases (e.g. flu or pneumonia), such as young children and the elderly.
It is important to talk to your doctor to make sure you are up to date.
Focus on Respiratory Tract Infections and the potential complementary effect of bacterial lysates and traditional vaccines
In particular, vaccines are essential to help fight against easily transmittable infections: airborne respiratory infections. From influenza flu to common cold or bronchitis, respiratory tract infections (RTIs) affect millions worldwide.
Today, various types of injectable vaccines are available against some prominent respiratory pathogens.
Based on the immunization approach, bacterial lysates offer a complementary prophylactic method for the prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections, and their relapses. Because both approaches have different administration routes and involve different modes of action, indeed they have potential complementary activities.
Bacterial lysates can be administered by oral or sublingual route, allowing a stimulation of the immune answer at the gut or oral mucosal level for the sublingual administration. Furthermore, the broad spectrum of action of bacterial lysates induce a dual immune answer, both innate and adaptive.
REFERENCES:
1.World Health Organization, WHO (campaign 2019)
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/world-immunization-week-2019
2. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/adult.html