VACCENT

Admist all the radical changes in the world history, the panacea for diseases evolves endlessly. Had it not been for the unstoppable efforts of scientists to cleanse all ailments, we wouldn’t have held onto the torch of human existence. The invention of vaccines carries weight.

Paying tribute to that, Heal Health inaugurates VACCENT, a series including various vaccines, a substance stimulate immunity to fight against infectious disease or pathogen.

Bacille Calmette Guerin

About a quarter of the global population is estimated to have been infected with Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria. Due to the astounding prowess and brains of Dr Albert Calmette and Dr Camille Guerin, a large decline in infection happens drastically by injecting the anti-tuberculosis vaccine from a germ called Mycobacterium bovis, which is similar to TB.

Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, beside vaccination, prevention methods like avoiding contact with other people and wearing a mask, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and disposing of sputum and used tissues properly should be vehemently applied.

Meningococcal

The meningococcal vaccine helps prevent diseases caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. There are different strains, or serogroups, of meningococcal bacteria. Meningococcal vaccines are available to protect against the common disease-causing strains such as serogroups A, B, C, W and Y. Currently, there are two types of meningococcal vaccine that are popular today, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine and the meningococcal serogroup B vaccine. Newborns from 12 months and adults and adolescents between 14 and 19 years of age are suitable for vaccination.

Astrazeneca

Viral vector vaccine for prevention of COVID-19

In the three years since, COVID-19 has killed more than 7.3 million people worldwide. These tallies could substantially underestimate COVID-19’s true death toll. In fact, some estimates suggest the total number of deaths could be more than two times as large as reported globally—nearly eighteen million deaths—and more than ten times greater than reported in some countries.

The coronavirus is spread through droplets and virus particles released into the air when an infected person breathes, talks, laughs, sings, coughs or sneezes. Larger droplets may fall to the ground in a few seconds, but tiny infectious particles can linger in the air and accumulate in indoor places, especially where many people are gathered and there is poor ventilation. This is why mask-wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing are essential to preventing COVID-19.

There are different variants of this coronavirus. Like other viruses, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can change (mutate). Mutations may enable the coronavirus to spread faster from person to person as in the case of the delta and omicron variants. Thus, active prevention is the concomitant of immunisation.

Gardasil

Nebulous concept of the quality of life has shone the light on various matters regarding how delicate human beings are. Indeed, due to the action of sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), fourteen thousand people are estimated to contract cervical cancer, the growth of cells that starts in the cervix in 2023.

Hang in there, as Rome was not built in a day, the infection takes years to develop. That being said, Vaccine Gardasil can wane off the amplification of the virus by stimulating the body to produce antibodies that, in future encounters with HPV, bind to the virus and prevent it from infecting cells.

The Gardasil vaccine protects against 7 types of the virus that cause most of the cervical cancer. Consequently, widespread HPV vaccination has the potential to reduce cervical cancer incidence around the world by as much as 90%. In addition, the vaccines may reduce the need for screening and subsequent medical care, biopsies, and invasive procedures associated with follow-up from abnormal cervical screening, thus helping to reduce health care costs and anxieties related to follow-up procedures.

Influenza

The level of development in the status quo varies across places. There is a huge gap between developing and developed countries. Indeed, it is estimated that 99% of deaths in children under 5 years of age with influenza related lower respiratory tract infections are in developing countries while in industrialized countries most deaths associated with influenza occur among people aged 65 years or older.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses A, B, C and D, with common strains like H1N1 and H3N2. It causes sudden fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue. While hygiene, exercise, and distancing help reduce risk, vaccination is the most effective prevention, preventing millions of illnesses, medical visits, hospitalisations, and deaths each year.

Measles, Mumps, Rubella

The MMR vaccine contains live-attenuated measles and mumps viruses, prepared in chicken embryo cell cultures. It also contains live-attenuated rubella virus (rubella virus vaccine live), prepared in human diploid lung fibroblasts. Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Because rubella during pregnancy can have dire consequences for the fetus (eg, miscarriage, multiple birth defects), all women of childbearing age, regardless of birth year, should be screened for rubella immunity.

Varicella

Quarantine, massive death, isolation… These words are to summarize the macabre period of Covid-19. However, the contagious speed of Covid still pales in significance with Varicella, a communicable disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Don’t you know that on average a person infected with the delta strain of COVID-19 can infect six or seven people, whereas someone infected with chickenpox can infect nine or 10?

Chickenpox can happen through direct contact with fluid from shingles rash blisters or through breathing in virus particles that come from the blisters. Typical symptoms include rash, fever, loss of appetite and headache. Since the chickenpox vaccination program began in the United States, there has been over 97% decrease in chickenpox cases. In addition to vaccinating Varicella, you need to practice high hygiene by washing hands properly, avoid contagious animal contact, wear disposable gloves when touching surfaces and disinfect nonporous surfaces.

Avaxim

Hepatitis A, a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus, is omnipresent. The hepatitis A virus is spread when someone ingests the virus, usually through person-to-person contact, food and water contamination… Symptoms include yellow skin or eyes, diarrhea, upset stomach, dark urine or coloured stool.

Beside vaccination, practicing good hand hygiene—including thoroughly washing hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food—plays an important role in preventing the spread of many illnesses, including hepatitis A.

Dengue

Prejudices within genders have existed long ago. While male figure is associated with power and aggressiveness, its counterpart, the female , is linked to inferiority. Mosquitoes, however, say no to this deep-rooted discrimination. Male mosquitoes feed only on plant juices, such as nectar, to get the sugar they need for energy and survival. As males do not bite, they cannot transmit diseases. Female mosquitoes, on the other hand, need protein from blood for the development of their eggs. That being said, they do breed together to produce offspring that spread Dengue, an illness spread by the bite of mosquitoes infected with a dengue virus.

Dengue is most commonly found in Central and South America, Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. When a mosquito infected with the dengue virus bites you, the virus can enter your blood and make copies of itself. The virus itself and your immune system’s response can make you feel sick. The virus can destroy parts of your blood that form clots and give structure to your blood vessels. This, along with certain chemicals that your immune system creates, can make your blood leak out of your vessels and cause internal bleeding. Hence, measures such as mosquito net, repel and water cleaning should be put in place.

Pneumococcal

Pneumococcal, caused by bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that can attack different parts of the body,is one of the reasons why we need to be cautious of distancing ourselves. The bacteria are transferred to another person through droplets of saliva or mucus, such as when a ‘carrier’ sneezes, coughs, shares toys or kisses someone. There is an increased risk of pneumococcal infection in asplenic individuals, HIV patients, immunocompromised, and elderly.

Pneumococcal vaccine contains purified capsular polysaccharide of pneumococcal serotypes conjugated to a carrier protein to improve antibody response compared to the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. In addition to vaccination, prevention methods like giving up smoking,good nutrition and hygiene and indoor air quality improvement need to be practiced daily.