Population aging has become an important trend of social development, and health is the basis for ensuring the independence and participation of the elderly in society. Promoting aging health is a long-term plan to actively respond to population aging. July 24-30 is the National Health Promotion Week for the Elderly. On July 19, a media salon with the theme of "improving prevention awareness and promoting the health of the elderly together" was held in Xiamen. Xun Shanying, director of general medicine of Fujian Straits Medical and Health Exchange Association and chairman of Xiamen Grass roots Health Association Medical and Preventive Integration Special Committee, popularized science on disease prevention and vaccine knowledge of the elderly.

The Health Protection Initiative for the Elderly in China published by the Chinese Medical Journal in 2022 mentioned that the elderly should enhance their awareness of vaccination and disease prevention, and take the initiative to vaccinate against influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae and herpes zoster.

Director Xun Shanying said that "to cure the disease before it happens", vaccination is the most effective, economical and convenient measure to prevent infectious diseases. Especially for the elderly, with the growth of age, human immunity declines, and they are more vulnerable to diseases. How to "prevent before disease" is particularly important.

During the activity, Director Xun Shanying emphasized that "herpes zoster is one of the most common infectious diseases for middle-aged and elderly people. The biggest feature of this disease is that it brings discomfort to elderly friends, especially pain, and it is painful in heart. In addition, if herpes zoster causes complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia, psychological disorders, and bacterial infections, the eyes can induce keratitis, corneal ulcer, and blindness, which will bring great burden to the elderly and their families. "

In addition, many people think that they will never get herpes zoster again after they have had it once. In this regard, Director Xun Shanying reminded: "There is no way to completely eliminate the varicella zoster virus in the human body. When your body's resistance is poor, the virus can make a comeback. Therefore, for the elderly, with age, the immune function of the body will decline, and the probability of suffering from influenza, pneumonia, herpes zoster and other infectious diseases will increase accordingly. Active vaccination is one of the important ways to ensure the healthy life quality of the elderly. “

Some elderly people will worry about whether they can be vaccinated because they have chronic basic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes? Director Xun Shanying said: "For people with chronic basic diseases, their immunity is weaker than that of healthy people, so when encountering infectious diseases, they are more likely to cause other complications. Therefore, it is recommended that such people should be vaccinated in a timely manner under the condition of stable health and good drug control. When choosing vaccines, it is suggested that people should mainly consider three aspects, the first is age, the second is protective effect, the third is whether they can fight, and what are the contraindications. Different vaccines have different protective effects. Please consult doctors or professionals for details. " In addition, Director Xun Shanying specially emphasized that for people suffering from tumor, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other immune defects and immunosuppressants, it is not recommended to vaccinate attenuated vaccines from the perspective of safety.