**19. Immunisation**

As spoken above about the seriousness of diabetics and insulin and infection, why is not the prevention of that infection not spoken much about? Is it that we always wait for the seriousness of a situation to escalate to maximum to actually take it into consideration and look for cure even after reaching a stage of no cure? Are people only preaching prevention is better than cure but not actually practicing it? Well, fellow humans! We have reached an era of high prevalence in vaccine-preventable diseases and it is time we prevent them for good.

We all know why diabetics are more prone to infections by this point. The science keeps the mind going but what keeps the heart going? Probably a big size chocolate bar for a diabetic with a blood sugar of. But no! Resistance is key. If we are not going to resist that candy bar nor are the bacteria or other organisms causing infection going to. There is not a lot we can do after this point, but there is quite a lot that could be done before—immunisation.

As spoken about already, it is estimated that 415 million people are living with diabetes around the world. That makes it 1 in every 11 people in the world's population. At this rate, it is estimated to reach a dramatic 642 million by the year 2040. Diabetes being noncommunicable, hence, increased dramatically over the past few years and according to the statistical staircase imagine how many people will be suffering in the future! If such a non-communicable disease has such an increase, imagine how fast the other infections as spoken above will become more and more common? As if that question did not scare you enough, imagine how many infections will mess with diabetics in the coming future? We have already gone through some very notorious infections that play around with the life of diabetics and surprisingly looking at the bright side, most of them are vaccine preventable.

Influenza, pneumococcal and hepatitis stand as the most important vaccine-preventable infections in diabetics along with many others. Additionally, we need to take care of diphtheria, typhoid, pertussis, tetanus and shingles. These viruses as we have come across already have a high tendency to cause infection in people with weak immune systems, which is important to note among diabetics.

○ Cloudy and bloody appearance of urine

**18. What are the other consequences of a high sugar level in the** 

Interestingly, sometimes an infection can lead to diabetes and not the other way round which

An infection can cause our body to produce higher levels of certain hormones like adrenaline or cortisol. These hormones counter the effect of insulin, thus increasing the levels of sugar in

As spoken above about the seriousness of diabetics and insulin and infection, why is not the prevention of that infection not spoken much about? Is it that we always wait for the seriousness of a situation to escalate to maximum to actually take it into consideration and look for cure even after reaching a stage of no cure? Are people only preaching prevention is better than cure but not actually practicing it? Well, fellow humans! We have reached an era of high

We all know why diabetics are more prone to infections by this point. The science keeps the mind going but what keeps the heart going? Probably a big size chocolate bar for a diabetic with a blood sugar of. But no! Resistance is key. If we are not going to resist that candy bar nor are the bacteria or other organisms causing infection going to. There is not a lot we can do

As spoken about already, it is estimated that 415 million people are living with diabetes around the world. That makes it 1 in every 11 people in the world's population. At this rate, it is estimated to reach a dramatic 642 million by the year 2040. Diabetes being noncommunicable, hence, increased dramatically over the past few years and according to the statistical staircase imagine how many people will be suffering in the future! If such a non-communicable disease has such an increase, imagine how fast the other infections as spoken above will become more and more common? As if that question did not scare you enough, imagine how many infections will mess with diabetics in the coming future? We have already gone through some very notorious infections that play around with the life of diabetics and surprisingly looking at the bright side, most of them are vaccine

prevalence in vaccine-preventable diseases and it is time we prevent them for good.

after this point, but there is quite a lot that could be done before—immunisation.

"Sometimes I pretend I'm not diabetic, but that's a dangerous game."

the blood which may trigger an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis.

○ Painful swallowing

28 Ultimate Guide to Insulin

**blood?**

– Unknown

we encounter usually.

**19. Immunisation**

preventable.

○ Irregular bowel movement

The influenza virus is famous for causing infection in the elderly usually at the age of around 65. People who have weak immune systems with underlying ailments are more prone to such infections. Diabetics are at a risk of more severe form of the disease. Vaccination is available against the flu whose compliance against the disease can be found to be effective seasonally.

Coming to pneumococcal vaccination, there are two types of vaccines for this infection, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) which protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) which protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria.

As in the case of typhoid, this vaccine works by exposing you to a small amount of the bacteria, which causes your body to develop immunity to the disease. **Typhoid vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body**, and will not prevent any disease caused by bacteria other than *Salmonella typhi*.

As for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus, the potent Tdap vaccine protects patients against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Tetanus can lead to tightening of the muscles of the head and neck and kills 1 in 10 people with the infection, while diphtheria can cause breathing problems, heart failure, paralysis and death, according to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC). Pertussis causes serious coughing fits that can strain breathing, cause vomiting and disturb sleep.

As for shingles, the zoster vaccine protects individuals against shingles, which is the reactivation of the chicken pox virus. Shingles presents as a painful rash, with pain that can persist even after the rash clears up.

We all know by this point that people with diabetes are more prone to infection. So, it is not surprising to note that people with diabetes are prone to hepatitis B infection more than nondiabetics. Hence, hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for everyone. It is a series of three vaccine shots. The second shot is taken 1 month after the first and the third dose is taken 6 months after the first.

The centre for disease control and prevention had recommended several other vaccines for diabetic patients. Various vaccines are provided against measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, herpes, diphtheria, tetanus and many others.

It is always recommended to be aware of the vaccinations taken in the past and to enquire with a doctor to know more information on your status and keep a record hence forth.

No matter how much we keep speaking about these great vaccines which have always given us a second chance, it is important to seek its help before it is too late. That is where the importance of early immunisation comes in. Immunisation is a simple way of protecting against so many harmful diseases. But many times, it is neglected and it is not surprising to know that it is not hard for diabetics to neglect vaccination either. Many infectious diseases are rare or eradicated now as a result of our immunisation programmes that have been ongoing from the past, but new infectious diseases are appearing around the world which increases the need to promote the importance of early immunisation. Immunising yourself not only means protection to yourself but also protection to the future generations against these deadly diseases. It is a crucial step in eradication of some of the most deadly diseases. It protects and continues to protect you and everyone around you from easily preventable disease. There are people in the community who take this matter into utmost importance and take their vaccines when required and make sure people around them do so too. But quite a few do not do so. Some may not be able to take vaccine if they might be too weak or sick as they might be vulnerable to the infection if vaccine is taken: these people are usually an acceptation but those who do not get vaccinated just because of mere carelessness or unawareness are something that can be changed. On a positive note, the importance of early immunisation can be spread around the world only when those taking it show a difference than those who do not. But, why wait for that difference? You never know when you might get infected by a needle prick. For all we know, people doing their daily duties for a living are getting infected even when they take all measures to prevent it. Except one: the person taking vaccination. It may be a simple step, but it makes all the difference.

to infection. Anyone can get infected anywhere, any time. So, do not laze around or ignore the seriousness of the situation because prevention is better than cure. Spend a few rupees now getting vaccinated. It saves much more than when you have to spend to treat the disease later on.

Insulin – Overview, Infections and Benefits of Immunization and Insurance

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81346

31

India has an expenditure of 1.5 lakh crore on availability of insulin preparations to the general

Since majority of India's population is not in the upper or upper middle class, a major hurdle is faced by the health sector in order to keep the physical quality of life index (PQLI) of the population in check. To ensure that the money spent on health necessities by the country is balanced out with the rise in the demand of medication by people who cannot afford it, the government introduced health insurance into the country. Ironically, only a small portion of individuals are making use of this advantage and a majority of the population have probably

Based on the age, type of diabetes and various other factors, the government targeted certain

Diabetes is an uphill battle for those that suffer from it, and their providers. Medical expenses and the complications that may occur for diabetics are far more than those for nondiabetics. It is a major struggle in the present world, but the new health insurance schemes offered by the

As mentioned before, awareness must be spread by the government and those employed in the health sector via medical camps. In this modern era, everyone is hooked onto at least one

Therefore, spreading the word on various social media is a great step in the right direction

The amount of awareness and utilisation of these insurance schemes among the population

This way, many lives that are taken due to the mere absence of medication can be avoided and

have a direct correlation to diminished expenditure from the diabetics.

even diabetics among the economically unstable can lead to a better life.

A few government-implemented health insurance schemes in India are:

• Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, Rashtiya Swasthiya Bima Yojana

groups of people to make sure that the insurance scheme is most favourable to them.

public, and yet many people are unable to afford the medication required.

**20. Insurance**

**20.1. Introduction to insurance**

never even heard of the term insurance!

type of social media platform.

**20.2. Insurance schemes**

• Central government heath scheme • Universal health insurance scheme

government should ease a little bit of the pressure.

and must be implemented more extensively.

Every country must do its part to make this world a safer and better place for us and our future generations to live in. Immunisation stands as priority not only in diabetics but also for everyone whether or not they are suffering from any diseases, because, remember, prevention is better than cure. That being said, WHO has recommended every country to have a national immunisation programme based on the country statistics on prevalent infectious diseases that are vaccine preventable. India has put to action the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) which was launched in 1985. The programme now consists of vaccination for 12 diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, measles, hepatitis B, diarrhoea, Japanese encephalitis, rubella, pneumonia (Haemophilus influenza type B) and pneumococcal diseases (pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis). Our country has come a long way in planning for the health and well-being for us and generations to come. The plan has been put to use but it is not going to be 100% effective unless everyone does their part in creating awareness and spreading the importance for early immunisation.

As we slowly approach the end of the discussion on immunisation, let us discuss the other modes of preventing infection in diabetics other than immunisation.

The most important measure to protect themselves from infection that most diabetics neglect is to maintain clean foot hygiene and always wear footwear or socks to protect the foot from minor injuries. Every now and then, the foot must be checked for any scratches or cuts or other skin problem which could give way for an infection. If any such things are present, they should be maintained clean so that the infection is not given a chance to enter the bloodstream and aggravate. Good urinary hygiene should also be maintained. In women, clean vaginal hygiene is of utmost importance as well. Eating food rich in active cultures are helpful in preventing yeast infections.

All these measures can help people suffering with diabetics protect themselves from further infections. If you are a diabetic and have not followed the above prevention methods, then, it is time to make change because it is better late than never. But if you do not have diabetes and are happy, well my friend, get yourself immunised! You do not have to be a diabetic to be susceptible to infection. Anyone can get infected anywhere, any time. So, do not laze around or ignore the seriousness of the situation because prevention is better than cure. Spend a few rupees now getting vaccinated. It saves much more than when you have to spend to treat the disease later on.
