Chinanews client, Beijing, September 28 (Reporter Zhang Ni) You may have heard the term "loin-lounge", "snake-loin-waist" or "snake". In fact, these are all shingles. , It is an infectious skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus.

During an acute attack of shingles, patients can be miserable, and some have pain ratings up to 7 or more.

In China, the number of new cases of shingles in people aged 50 and above is huge each year, and how to actively prevent such diseases is worthy of attention.

Site of the kick-off meeting (picture provided by the organizer)

  On the 26th, the "Middle-aged and Elderly Health Science Popularization Action-The National Launching Meeting for the Popularization of Free Skin Clinics in the Department of Herpes Zoster Diseases" was officially held in Beijing.

  The project was jointly initiated by the China National Health Association and the China Association of Senior Citizens University and other units. It aims to promote the scientific understanding and knowledge popularization of the common disease of dermatology shingles in the middle-aged and elderly people, so as to achieve early disease prevention, early diagnosis and early treatment. , Thereby reducing the harm of shingles disease to middle-aged and elderly people.

  "People over the age of 50 are prone to herpes zoster." Li Ruoyu, professor of Peking University First Hospital and director of the National Center for Clinical Research on Skin and Immune Diseases, introduced at the meeting.

  Li Ruoyu said that even in good health, more than 99% of adults aged 50 and over have been infected with varicella-zoster virus.

Approximately one-third of people will become ill due to the reactivation of the virus in their lifetime.

According to statistics, there are about 1.56 million new cases of shingles in people aged 50 and over in my country each year.

  Although shingles is an infectious skin disease, in addition to skin damage, patients may also have post-herpetic neuralgia.

Some people describe the pain of shingles like "burning", "electric shock" and "stabs". Once the pain develops, it may last for many years.

During an acute attack, it may be comparable to the pain of childbirth.

  “Among herpes zoster patients, about 9%-34% will have post-herpetic neuralgia, and the pain rating can reach 7 or higher, which is severe pain and seriously affects the quality of life of the patients.” Youth of the Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics Committee Chairman Xie Lili introduced at the meeting.

  "Vaccination is an effective means to prevent shingles." Li Ruoyu emphasized.

  However, the reporter learned at the meeting that my country has implemented the national immunization program through vaccination in 1978. After decades of popularization and promotion, gratifying results have been achieved. The incidence, disability, and mortality of children’s infectious diseases has been significantly reduced. The status quo of elderly vaccination is not optimistic.

  Wu Yingping, president of the Chinese National Health Association, said that the coverage rate of middle-aged and elderly vaccines such as herpes zoster vaccine and influenza vaccine is low.

  Wu Yingping expressed the hope that the “National Program for Popularization of Skin Disease Clinics in the Department of Herpes Zoster Diseases” can play a role in inducing others, and establish a disease prevention concept of “early recognition, early prevention, and early health” for the middle-aged and elderly people, and recognize herpes zoster. Diseases can be prevented by vaccines, thereby reducing the incidence of shingles in middle-aged and elderly people.

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