“People with diabetes, compared to the general population, run a greater risk of complications if they contract infectious diseases. For this reason, regardless of their age, they are among the people for whom vaccines against various diseases are recommended, includingHerpes Zoster“. Like this Agostino Consolipresident of the Italian Diabetes Society, at time.news Salute on the sidelines of the 29th SID National Congress which has just ended in Rimini.
“In a joint document signed with the Diabetic Doctors Association (AMD) – explains Consoli – we reaffirm the concept that the person with diabetes, in terms of infections, is a fragile patient. Not only does he have an increased risk of getting infections, but the course of the infection he gets is more severe. Consequently, we recall the importance of vaccinations for patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes in particular against influenza, pneumococcus, measles-mumps-rubella, meningococcus and Herpes Zoster, given the recent availability of a new vaccine against this virus “.
Diabetes, specialists point out, represents an important risk factor for the development of both Herpes Zoster and its complication, post-herpetic neuralgia. “These patients are more exposed to the virus – underlines Consoli – and more at risk of having negative consequences related to the infection, including a persistent painful neuropathy that can last even months. It is essential to protect them with vaccination”.
People with diabetes “have a marked susceptibility to infections, with a course characterized by greater severity and an increased relative risk of hospitalization or death from infectious disease – he remarks Graziano Di CianniAMD president – We have seen it with Covid-19, for this reason we always recommend vaccinations. For the diabetic patient, apart from the anti-flu, we diabetologists recommend vaccines against Herpes Zoster, meningococcus, pneumococcusbecause these infections can have particularly challenging clinical manifestations “.
Herpes Zoster “for the diabetic – continues the expert – is a demanding pathology due to the clinical manifestations it involves. Let’s not forget that the diabetic patient has a series of comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases, vascular diseases and renal insufficiency, and that Viral and bacterial infections cause these patients to alter blood sugar levels. Hence our invitation, indeed imperative, to undergo the recommended vaccinations “.
Protecting the diabetic patient with “a massive vaccination campaign is extremely important – Di Cianni concludes – To do this, it is first of all necessary to promote the culture of vaccination by involving diabetologists, but in general the entire medical profession. A doctor, if convinced of the importance of vaccines, will also convince his patients. Furthermore, we must open the centers of the AMD association, speak with patients also through our social channels. We must promote an awareness and information campaign so that prevention becomes clinical practice “.