title: [Vaccination: a programme for the whole life].
abstract: In 2010 in Switzerland, vaccine-preventable infectious diseases still cause a significant morbi-mortality, notably among old adults. While the vaccination-based prevention in the aged population has been neglected for a long time, the two European geriatrics and gerontology societies, EUGMS, IAGG-ER has recently proposed a vaccine schedule dedicated to adults aged over 60 and promote a life-course vaccination programme. To convince of the importance of such measures in Switzerland, this article: recounts the beneficial impact of vaccines on the incidence of measles, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus as well as influenza and pneumococcal diseases; presents the burden of these infectious diseases among the population no or insufficiently immunized; demonstrates that vaccinating in the respect of a life-course vaccine programme will reduce considerably the burden of these infectious disease.
authors.affiliation: Département de réhabilitation et gériatrie, Hôpital des Trois-Chêne, HUG. pierre.o.lang@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Pierre Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D013557:Switzerland; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult