Vaccinate in the name of protected aging

O + Longevity, think tank composed of a multidisciplinary team, studied vaccination in adults as a health and economic priority and presented the study’s conclusions today, in an event that took place on Palco Impresa.

Ricardo Baptista Leite, chairman from the Nova Center for Global Health, and Eric King, general director of GSK Portugal, led the opening session, then opening space for the intervention of Sibilia Quilici, executive director of Vaccines Europe, on “The European context – prevention as a priority of developed societies”. “The Portuguese still assume that vaccination is something for children. We have a long way to go”, said Ricardo Baptista Leite, who recalled that “vaccines prevent 3.5 to 5 million deaths per year”.

“There are more adults over 65 than children under 5”, reinforced Eric King. A video was then shown on the subject and pulmonologist Filipe Froes made it clear that “vaccination is one of the pillars for protected aging”.

“Investing in prevention is much more profitable”, said Henrique Lopes, director of the Nova Center for Global Health, who presented the results of the study and recorded the main barriers to vaccination in adults: “Access, resources, literacy, information and heterogeneity” . Francisco George, president of the Portuguese Public Health Association, reinforced the issue of “protected aging” as a way of “living longer and with better quality. And that is possible,” he stated. “There are four components for protected aging: vaccination, nutrition, physical exercise and sleep”, he added.

Carlos Lima Alves, vice-president of Infarmed, Nuno Marques, coordinator of the Action Plan for Active and Healthy Aging, and Sofia Duque, from the Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine, participated in the first panel, which was about “Increasing longevity with quality of life: the new paradigm of adult vaccination”.

“Literacy is very important for the population, but also for health professionals”, argued Sofia Duque. “Vaccination is essential”, reinforced Carlos Lima Alves. The following theme (“Investment vs Expense: Prevention as a bet on the future of people and the country”) featured interventions by Ana Clara Silva, regional director for Integrated Public Policies and Longevity of the Regional Government of Madeira, João Almeida Lopes , vice-president of the CIP, and Sónia Dias, director of the National School of Public Health at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. “There is the famous saying ‘prevention is better than cure’, in other words, prevention is the best investment”, defended João Almeida Lopes.

Discover some of the conclusions:

• Vaccination will allow aging with more longevity and quality of life, as it reduces chronic pain conditions, according to experts.
• “Vaccination can play a fundamental role in longevity accompanied by quality of life”, argued, by the way, Ricardo Baptista Leite.
• According to the study, vaccines work to reduce the spread of diseases, reduce the risk of hospitalizations, reduce the need for intensive care, and even in cases where they are necessary, vaccinated people are less likely to die.
• “Portugal is a country that receives acceptance from citizens”, said Henrique Lopes, adding that “only 48% of European countries have specific planning for adult vaccination”. “There is a lot of room for progress”, he reinforced.
• “Protected aging is essential”, stated Francisco George. “And everyone wins: patients and the State. In fact, everyone wins!” he said.
• “It is very important that vaccines are in the National Vaccination Plan”, commented Sofia Duque.
• Health professionals, doctors, nurses or pharmacists, play an absolutely important role in raising awareness among the population about vaccination. An effort must be made to promote health literacy, as misinformation, myths and beliefs must be combatted with messages based on robust scientific evidence.
• “If we invest in literacy there is no hesitation. There needs to be more information”, said Sofia Duque.
• People should look at vaccination as an act of solidarity, which protects themselves and others. And an investment must be made in this sense. “We are far below what we should invest in terms of prevention”, highlighted João Almeida Lopes.