Prof. Dr. Selim Badur
Prof. Dr. Selim Badur Highlights the Importance of Lifelong Immunity During Vaccination Week. GSK’s Scientific Advisor for Developing Countries, Prof. Dr. Selim Badur, made significant statements regarding the benefits of vaccines to public health during World Immunization Week. Badur emphasized that vaccines are essential not only for children but also for individuals of all ages aiming to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Virolog and Immunologist Prof. Dr. Selim Badur, in the context of World Immunization Week celebrated globally every last week of April to raise public awareness, made important statements regarding the importance of vaccines and how individuals of all ages are protected against various diseases through vaccines. Badur stressed that lifelong immunity is only possible through vaccination at every stage of life, highlighting that the first step in achieving herd immunity is increasing individuals’ awareness of vaccines.
“Community Immunity Achieved Through Vaccines”
Prof. Dr. Selim Badur emphasized that many diseases can be prevented and controlled through vaccines: “Vaccination, which is a fundamental component of the right to health of individuals, is one of the most important duties of preventive medicine. The main idea behind vaccination is to prevent the emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in the community and to minimize the morbidity and mortality rates caused by these diseases. Routine vaccination programs focusing on herd immunity have significantly reduced vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide, and there are even diseases such as polio that have been completely eradicated in history thanks to vaccines. Lifelong maintenance of this achieved status through vaccines is possible by administering necessary vaccines at every stage of life.”
“Vaccines Protect Both Children and Adults from Diseases While Also Promoting Healthy Aging”
As it is well known, children are quite curious during their exploration phase. This curiosity leads to more frequent interactions with people, objects, or surfaces compared to an adult, and therefore, they encounter microbes more often. Considering that children encounter many microbes for the first time in their lives, the importance of vaccines increases.
Prof. Badur, in addition to the importance of vaccination in childhood, stated that the immune system undergoes changes throughout a person’s life: “Considering that the population is aging worldwide, vaccination in adults is equally critical to creating healthy aging generations and reducing the burden on the healthcare system. Especially for adults aged 50 and over, the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases is increasing along with declining immunity. Vaccines in adults not only prevent diseases but also mean healthy aging and a quality life.”
“Vaccines are Reliable Biological Products”
Selim Badur emphasized that before vaccines are made available, their immune response, efficacy, and safety are investigated through scientific studies: “Vaccines directly affect community immunity worldwide. Data on vaccines administered to individuals are reviewed by globally recognized authorities such as the World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency, the European Licensing Authority, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the United States Licensing Authority. In Turkey, vaccines are produced in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices and licensed by the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, a national health authority. Therefore, we should not allow speculation about vaccine safety and should not neglect regular vaccination by embracing the importance of vaccination for both ourselves and society.”
Continuing his remarks by mentioning the contribution of vaccines to the prevention of epidemic diseases, Prof. Dr. Selim Badur stated, “From the past to the present, we have witnessed that vaccines have contributed to stopping epidemics caused by infectious diseases and to gaining community immunity. Proper planning with vaccines allows preventing disasters before outbreaks occur. As both children and adults, we can protect ourselves from many diseases that could lead to death through the regular monitoring of vaccines to be administered throughout our lives.”