The greatest pandemics of all time: who helped overcome them?

Speaking of the biggest outbreaks of all time, prof. S. Čaplinskas, first of all, highlights the smallpox epidemic, an acute viral disease, highly contagious and often fatal. According to him, she was one of the most terrifying in human history.

„XX a. 300-500 million died of smallpox. people. Infected children survived particularly rarely. 1967 The World Health Organization has reported that 2 million people died of the disease that year. people. A decade later, it was announced that smallpox had been eradicated, “says the professor. S. Čaplinskas.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since 1980. there were no cases of natural smallpox. According to the professor, two stages were the most important in the fight against smallpox. “The first stage that led to the eradication of smallpox was the invention of vaccines in the 18th century. In the end. The second – 20th c. In the second half of the world, a massive smallpox eradication program was implemented. These actions helped achieve the fact that this year marks the 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication: it was the first disease in the world to be defeated with vaccines, “says the professor. S. Čaplinskas.

Influenza virus: then and today

20th century Humanity faced 4 flu pandemics in the early 1990s. The first was the Spanish flu, which cost more than 20 million. lives, followed by the Asian flu, which killed more than 1 million people. people, Hong Kong flu, claiming more than 1 million. human lives and the new influenza A, which killed up to 400,000 people. people.

The last influenza pandemic was declared by the WHO in 2009. In the same year, a sudden increase in the incidence of influenza and acute upper respiratory tract infections was observed in Lithuania, when the incidence was 2-3 times higher than the level of common multi-year incidence.

According to the professor, 23 people died from the H1N1 flu strain in Lithuania during the pandemic season. A pandemic influenza vaccine has been developed to combat this flu and has become the most effective preventive measure.

Now, due to the mutational capacity of the flu virus, each flu season is unpredictable. Prof. According to S. Čaplinskas, it is difficult to predict each year which influenza virus mutation will circulate in that season, what the level of morbidity will be, how many people will need to be hospitalized, or how many deaths will occur.

“Influenza epidemics in Lithuania are announced every year to slow the spread of the virus and reduce its damage to public health: morbidity, mortality, frequency of complications, or incapacity for work. Each municipality decides to declare an influenza epidemic individually, “says Prof. S. Čaplinskas.

Epidemics that we could have avoided

Prof. S. Čaplinskas also recalls the epidemics of various diseases of the last decades that affected the Lithuanian population. It is true that some could have been avoided because their outbreak was due to reduced vaccination rates.

For example, since 1956. With the introduction of planned childhood diphtheria vaccination in Lithuania, the incidence of this disease has decreased significantly. Later years, diphtheria was not recorded or only isolated cases were recorded. However, in 1990 there was an epidemic of diphtheria in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, including Lithuania.

“This outbreak is due to increased population susceptibility to diphtheria, which has been caused by low vaccination rates in children, non-vaccination in adults, and deteriorating social conditions.” More than 157,000 people were registered in Russia and other former Soviet countries during the epidemic. cases of diphtheria and 5 thousand. deaths, but intensive vaccination campaigns have controlled the epidemic, “says Professor S. Čaplinskas.

He also remembers the measles outbreak in Lithuania last year, the largest in the past decade, when 834 people became ill. This situation was also due to insufficient and declining vaccination coverage.
“The status of measles in most adults was unknown, and large numbers of children were not vaccinated. Various measures have been taken to control the measles outbreak, but the main one is the national immunoprophylaxis campaigns initiated at the national level” says the teacher. S. Čaplinskas.

Recommendations for healthy aging.

Vaccination is not only one of the greatest advances in healthcare, but also one of the most cost-effective healthcare interventions. Vaccines help protect 2.7 million people each year. measles people, 2 million. – neonatal tetanus and 1 million people with pertussis. Also in Europe, the seasonal flu vaccine protects about 2 million people a year. people.

“Today, we can protect not only people vaccinated with vaccines. Extensive vaccination coverage allows collective protection: vaccination of a sufficient number of the population can control certain diseases and prevent their spread. It also has a great impact on savings of health care, treatment and even in the economy in general. The systematic vaccination of society allows not only to improve the quality of life, but also to protect the health and life of all people, “says Agnė Gaižauskienė, Director of the Association of the Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (IFPA).

According to prof. S. Čaplinsko, the public should pay more attention to all vaccines, because today we can control more than 25 diseases with vaccines.

“According to the Lithuanian calendar of preventive vaccinations for children, PSDF funds children to be vaccinated against 14 vaccine-controlled infectious diseases. All diseases are included in the vaccination schedule not only by themselves, but also taking into account their danger and many years of experience and the recommendations of international organizations, “says the professor. S. Čaplinskas.

Due to visible demographic changes in society, increased life expectancy, and advances in medical science, vaccination of adults at different risk groups should be more important to protect them from communicable diseases. Healthy aging is a life-long practice of preventive measures such as a healthy diet, physical activity, regular health checks, and vaccinations.

“As a person ages, both general immunity and immunity to certain diseases are weakened. Adult vaccination is an integral component of healthy aging. The most common vaccine-controlled infections in adults are influenza, pneumococcal infection, herpes zoster, whooping cough, hepatitis B and tick-borne encephalitis, ”recalls Professor S. Čaplinskas.