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Passive immunization, special protection for vulnerable groups

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Elder Vaccine
(IO/Pramita Hendra)

Vulnerable Groups, as Defined by the CDC 

According to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “vulnerable groups” are “people whose conditions include: blood cancer or dense blood patients who are undergoing active therapy, patients who receive organ and consume immunosuppressants to lower their immunity so that they can accept the transplanted organs, patients with medium or heavy severity primary immunodeficiency, advanced stadium HIV patients who do not take any medications, and patients who receive high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress immune response.” 

In contrast with active immunization that raises immunity by triggering the body’s immune system antibody generation, passive immunization forms immunity artificially by injecting antibodies from outside the body, such as monoclonal antibodies. In other words, they strengthen the body’s immune system by injecting antibodies directly into it, to stimulate the initial immune system, whether intravenously or intramuscularly. 

Read: Polio emergency: high risk of the disease still threaten 30 provinces

Prof. Iris went on to conclude that obstacles to the immune system may increase the severity of Covid-19-related complications, and lower the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine in immunocompromised individuals. Furthermore, immunocompromised individuals require additional options for prophylaxes. “Administering monoclonal antibodies to people who are not in the vulnerable group category is not prohibited. However, we prioritize doing so to vulnerable groups, because they need it more than the healthy population whose vaccination works more effectively, thus requiring no supplements on their part,” she said. (est)

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