Experts discuss at the scientific symposium in Gia Lai Province. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

QUY NHƠN — Health experts discussed prevention‑oriented approaches tailored to different stages of the human lifespan at a recent symposium in Gia Lai Province.

The two-day scientific forum, entitled 'The Lifelong Immunisation Journey – A Multidimensional Perspective on Opportunities and Challenges', was jointly organised by the Vietnam Preventive Medicine Association and Pfizer Vietnam.

In the context of continuously evolving disease patterns and epidemiology, the risk of infectious diseases is increasingly evident across multiple stages of life - from early childhood and adulthood to older age, particularly among populations with underlying medical conditions.

This reality highlights the growing need for a life‑course approach to prevention, one that recognises differing health risks and care needs across age groups and risk profiles.

Speaking at the event, Professor Phan Trọng Lân, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that the concept of ‘lifelong immunisation’ has increasingly gained attention as a life‑course framework to enhance community health protection.

One of the most in‑depth discussions at the conference focused on the burden of infectious diseases that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and have not yet been adequately protected through proactive prevention.

Việt Nam is entering a phase of rapid population ageing, accompanied by shifting healthcare needs, particularly among older adults and individuals with underlying conditions. Ageing is associated with physiological decline and immunosenescence, increasing susceptibility to infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

Associate Professor Lê Khắc Bảo, Deputy Director of University Medical Centre Hồ Chí Minh City, said: “Older adults, particularly those aged 65 and above, are more susceptible to respiratory infections with higher severity and mortality risks.

"In addition, respiratory infections not only cause acute illness but can exacerbate chronic diseases; co‑infections involving viruses and bacteria may further worsen clinical outcomes and increase mortality risk. Therefore, proactive prevention should be carefully considered in this population.”

From a public health perspective, the World Health Organization has recognised that preventive measures, including immunisation programmes, can help reduce infection risk and support efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance by lowering unnecessary antibiotic use.

However, real‑world implementation in Việt Nam still falls significantly short of actual needs. A 2024 survey at a preventive care site in Hà Nội found that only 11.5 per cent of adults had received pneumococcal prevention.

Another survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2023 showed that fewer than six per cent of older adults receive annual influenza prevention, largely due to low-risk perception and limited proactive healthcare counselling.

Globally, active immunisation is associated with protection against approximately 30 infectious diseases and helps prevent an estimated five million deaths annually, underscoring the importance of investment in preventive strategies to improve population health outcomes.

If risk among older adults is largely linked to chronic conditions and immune ageing, infants and young children represent the other vulnerable end of the lifespan, with increased susceptibility to common respiratory pathogens due to their immature immune systems. This reinforces the need to view prevention as a journey across the lifespan, rather than focusing on individual diseases in isolation, according to experts.

Across diverse risk groups, including older adults, individuals with chronic conditions, and infants, the concept of lifelong immunisation was highlighted as a life‑course preventive framework, enabling healthcare professionals to systematically integrate epidemiological data, clinical practice and international experience in ways that align with age‑ and risk‑specific health needs.

Another key topic addressed at the conference was hesitancy toward preventive interventions. Low preventive uptake among older adults in Việt Nam is not solely due to service availability; psychological, perceptual and information‑access barriers remain inadequately addressed by the healthcare system.

Drawing on epidemiological, clinical, and international perspectives, conference experts reached a consensus that a life‑course prevention approach offers tangible value in the context of evolving healthcare needs.

A comprehensive lifelong immunisation programme helps assess risks by age and population group, and puts information, healthcare professionals, and interdisciplinary collaboration at the centre of modern preventive care.— VNS