"Do not let shingles make your life unbearable. Vacculate today ". With this motto, MSD launches a new shingles awareness campaign, a disease that causes pain, suffering and mental suffering, testing patients' limits and strengths.
The information campaign, under the aegis of the Hellenic Society of Infections and the Athens Medical Association , aims to raise public awareness of the scientific and social parameters related to herpes zoster, the complications it causes in a high percentage, but also the prevent the outbreak of disease through vaccination.
For the shingles and the actions of MSD towards information and protection against the complications of the infection, the President of the Hellenic Society for Infections, Mr. Panagiotis Gargalianos - Kakoviris , the President of the Medical Association of Athens Mr. Giorgos Patoulis spoke at a press conference , the MSD Vaccine Medical Officer, Mr. George Trimes, and MSD's Business Director of the MSD Vaccine Department, Mr. Nikos Markoulatos.
The information campaign is based on the website www.erpiszostir.gr, where the visitor can obtain information on every aspect of the disease and be informed of the cause and symptoms of the herpes zoster, as well as when it is recommended to do so vaccination against shingles.
As explained by the President of the Greek Society of Infectious Diseases, Mr. Panagiotis Gargalianos - Kakolyris , adults also have the need to shield their organism from various infectious diseases by vaccinations depending on their underlying diseases, age, lifestyle and profession . In national vaccination programs there are specific recommendations for the necessary vaccines for adults as well as for children. Especially for herpes zoster, as Mr P. Gargalianos - Kakolyris said, we know that over the age of 60 the incidence is estimated at 13-15 incidents per 1,000 adults each year.
Some patients may experience serious complications in the Central Nervous System , eyesight and hearing, but the most frequent complication is persistent neuralgia (MEN), which may last from 3 months to 10 years. Prevention of the appearance of shingles is achieved with a special vaccine that protects against most cases of shingles as well as MEN.
The President of the Athens Medical Association, Mr. G. Patoulis, spoke out of the event, marking the initiative of the Hellenic Society for Infections and MSD, and stressed that the EES is helping to prevent such efforts and added: "Vaccination is a criterion for the level of healthcare of a country. And in Greece, fortunately, doctors and all the human potential of the healthcare sector are trying to keep this level high, despite the adversity that the multi-annual economic crisis has created. It is especially important that people are properly informed in order to protect themselves from misinformation that poses great health risks. For this reason, efforts must be made to prevent and promote the health of citizens. "
MSD's Vaccine Department of Medicine, Mr. G. Trimes , in his speech referred to the value of adult vaccination. As he explained, "In the elderly, infections are more serious, as there is at least a threefold risk of developing complications with high morbidity and mortality. Life-long vaccination offers invaluable benefits to humans. Adult vaccination avoids a large number of influenza incidents every year and limits transmission and hospital admissions, while with the pneumococcal vaccine, pneumonia is reduced annually, antibiotic-resistant pneumonias are easier to deal with and are reduced accordingly hospitalizations due to pneumonia in hospitals and Intensive Care Units ".
It is noted that vaccines recommended in the National Vaccine Program for adults over 60 years of age are the booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria and / or pertussis vaccine, influenza vaccine annually, pneumococcal vaccine (> 65 years unless co-existing chronic disease at the age of 60-65 years) and the shingles vaccine. These vaccines are provided free of charge by the Insurance Funds.
Referring to herpes zoster, Mr. Trimis stressed that the responsible virus is found in 95% of adults (in all chickenpox), and it is estimated that 1 in 4 people will develop shingles in their lives. The likelihood of occurrence and the severity of infection increase dramatically after the age of 50, and with increasing age, the duration of the pain caused by the disease increases, resulting in more frequent postherpetic neuralgia (pain beyond the month beginning of the shingles episode).
Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia (MEN) - continued - is a painful disease that can lead to a severe deterioration in quality of life, as treating Herpes Zoster and MEN is difficult and often ineffective.
In addition, some patients may suffer from serious manifestations and complications. It is characteristic, Mr Trimes said, that at least 1 in 10 Zystra Herpes patients will develop lesions in the eye and half of them will suffer from chronic ophthalmic disease and the risk of vision loss. Also, people who have had a herpes zoster episode have a 3 times higher risk of stroke in the next 6 months compared to the general population.
With these data, Mr Trimes concluded, the value of adult vaccination is perceived in order to maintain a high level of protection and immunity of the population against infectious diseases that can be prevented effectively and safely.
For his part, MSD's Business Director of the MSD Vaccine Department, Mr. Nikos Markoulatos, presented the new MSD website for shingles. Through a friendly and easy-to-use environment, guests can get information about shingles and postherpetic neuralgia, symptoms and diagnosis as well as the complications that may occur, making the lives of shingles worse.
MSD's shingles campaign also focuses on the severity of the disease and the high risk of someone who has not been vaccinated against the infection, through testimonies from the patients themselves, said Mr N. Markoulatos.
"It's as if your back is flaming", "I feel like I'm electrocuted" and "Do not let her shingles make your life unbearable. Emblazsion - Armor ", are some of the messages included in the campaign materials. It is worth noting that these expressions are real patient testimonies describing the pain of shingles through quality of life impact studies.
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