Vaccination Guidelines 3rd Edition

There is no unified requirement that "everyone must receive dose

Last month, I helped the district disease control and prevention department organize community presentation materials for this version of the guide. I worked at a street vaccination site for almost three weeks and encountered a variety of problems. I was able to sort out the points that everyone was most concerned about. For example, last week I met a young man who had just graduated and asked with a screenshot of the second edition of the guide. He said that he had already received three doses of the new coronavirus vaccine. Does he need to take another high-priced shot now? I read him the local epidemic strain monitoring data attached in the guide. He works as an Internet operator. He rarely goes to crowded places except commuting to and from get off work, and he is not in a high-exposure occupation. There is no need to vaccinate specifically at this stage. The more than 200 yuan saved to buy two kilograms of pork ribs tastes much better. If you have to struggle, treat the vaccine-matched strain as buying clothes for a change of season. Last year’s down jacket can also be worn, but if the cold wave this year is stronger than in previous years, it will definitely be warmer to replace it with one with higher down content. If it is a warm winter and you mostly stay in a heated room, the old one will not freeze at all.

Of course, if you have a baby at home who is just over 6 months old, or an elderly person over 80 years old who suffers from underlying diseases all year round, that’s a different story. Here is a controversial point that is still being discussed in the academic community: Regarding whether people over 60 years old should receive the latest multivalent respiratory vaccine every year, most doctors in the Department of Infectious Diseases tend to "recommend vaccination as long as there are no underlying diseases with acute attacks." Existing clinical data shows that it can reduce the risk of severe disease by about 40%. I have met several family members of elderly people with COPD who specially come to make appointments for vaccination. ； However, many doctors in the geriatric medicine department will give more conservative advice. If the elderly are bedridden for a long time, rarely go out, and only have regular contact with two or three family members, there is no need to go to the vaccination site. After all, traveling and minor adverse reactions such as low fever and fatigue that may occur after vaccination are not a big burden for the already weak elderly. Both schools are supported by complete clinical data. There is no absolute right or wrong. Which one you choose depends on the actual situation of your family.

There is also the allergy issue that everyone was most concerned about in the past. The contraindications for allergies in the second edition of the guide were relatively strict, but the third edition has been relaxed a lot. Only those who have experienced severe allergic reactions such as anaphylactic shock and laryngeal edema after receiving similar vaccines in the past are absolute contraindications. Dust mite allergy, penicillin allergy, and allergy to eating mango and seafood will not affect normal vaccination. A few days ago, a girl came to get the HPV vaccine. She said that she had a red rash on her arm when she got the second shot of COVID-19. She was so scared that she dared not touch any vaccine for three years. I helped her read the evaluation criteria in the guide. Her rash was a minor local adverse reaction and not considered a contraindication at all. After the vaccination on the same day, she stayed under observation for 30 minutes and found nothing. Then she left happily.

My biggest feeling during the three weeks of working here is that many people either regard vaccines as a talisman that can prevent all kinds of diseases and feel that they will not get sick no matter what they do. In fact, the attitude that this guide wants to convey the most is: the vaccine is just an ordinary health protection tool. It is no different from the masks you usually wear or the multivitamin tablets you take. The one that suits you is the best.

There is no need to read the guideline word for word. Every community vaccination point now provides free assessment and consultation. You can clearly explain your basic medical conditions and daily exposure risks, and the doctor can give you an accurate conclusion in three to five minutes. It is much more effective than searching for fragmented information online for half an hour or arguing with others. Oh, by the way, one last little detail that was not written in the guide: Yesterday I met an aunt who was wearing a thick sweater with tight cuffs. She didn’t pull it up for five minutes during the vaccination. She almost cut off the sleeves on the spot. When going for the vaccination, try to wear a looser top and don’t go on an empty stomach. It’s easy to get sick from the shot. These are trivial things that are commonplace but people always forget.