Bliss English Club

<Bliss Meeting Notice> “Longevity” by Antonio on May 25, 2019 & 0518 Recap

*Due to some negligence, we need to revise and resend 0525 notice & recap 0518 here*

My Dear Blissers,

Do you agree the quote by Leonardo da Vinci, “A long life is a life well spent”?

For centuries, reaches have been concentrated on how to live longer, but what if the dream is realized in the near future?

This coming Saturday, we are so honored to have an intellectual new blood, Antonio, lead us to discuss the issue!

Here is Host Antonio’s Introduction:

Taiwan is becoming an aged society. More and more problem of the elderly is emerging nowadays. One day we will also face the same situation. Here I want to introduce you some things about aging and hw to live longer, healthier and more meaningful!

Meeting agenda

Topic 1 The aging theory   -   20 min

Discussion1  10 min

Topic2 How to live longer   -   20 min

Discussion2   -   20 min

Topic3 The life plan when you can live longer   -   20 min

Discussion3   -   20 min

Guided Questions

1. If possible, do you want to have an eternal life? Or how old do you want to live?

2. What are your tips for living longer?

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Recap of “How Vaccines Affect Our Lives?” by Casey on May 18, 2019

Host: Casey

Date: May 18, 2019

Attendance: Sophie, Ellen Wang, Naihsin, Ellen Huang, Yahui, Mike Young, Annie, Casey, Carmelo, Rachel, Winnie

Meeting Photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/knrMNBsDxcg14y726

The meeting started

What vaccination has been the most impressive? What is it?

Some had painful experiences, others blurred memories, few happy ones!  

Vaccine history and how it works

Some points need to remember

1.      In the past, we cannot prevent disease invading, until Edward Jenner found we can use attenuated (weaker) virus to induce our immune system to fight.

2.      Vaccines could let our body produce antibody prior to the real virus/bacteria coming, therefore make our immune system active quickly and kill the antigen. That’s how vaccines work.

Public vaccination schedule & Your Immunization record

The government holds a regular schedule in different stages of ages to vaccinate the following like HepB/PCV13, DtNP+4b-iPV, BCG, Influenza, Vericela, HepA, MMR, jE, Dtap-IPV/Tdap-iPV for following decease like Rubella, chickenpox (varicella), influenza, polio, hepatitis, diphitheria,tetanus, pertussis, zoster, yellow fever, rabies, papillomavirus (HPV)perbella

Our Experiences

Rabies vaccine—used in Animal bites or wound bacteria—

Vaccinia left marks on our arms to prevent smallpox; we started to compare one another’s mark sizes and shapes.

BCG vaccination for tuberculosis: prior to 12years old

 Hot issue: Cervical Cancer 7^th mortality rate VS. HPV vaccines

Sep., 2018 the government offer free vaccination for grade 13 girls preventing the inflection of HPV virus. Not effective because not so many girls get vaccinated and long enough.

People worry about the side effects, not life-long immunity, and no critical safety mask against the various derivative HPV types although 2-valent, 4-valentm 9-valent vaccines options in markets. Generally, people can have the Pap smear test first and then follow their own doctors’ advice based on individual physical conditions.

Herd immunity or community immunity

When more or most of the people get vaccinated, the whole community gets immune.

Herd immunity threshold

The certain vaccination percentage of the group is high enough to protect the community. For example, “mumps threshold” RO 4~7, threshold 75~86%, means 75~86% of the child aged 4~7 get the vaccination against mumps will be enough to immune the whole community.

Role play

Tough Decision I: Vaccine policy maker: Lethal Virus

Death: 73 people

Reporting cases: 345 cease

Outbreak for 2 months

Route of infection: droplet infection (ex: through sneezing or coughing, just like influenza)

Medications:

We have drugs for those infected people, but there’s still 30% chances not to be fully cured

Tough Decision II:  Vaccine recipient

Do you vaccinate or not? Why?

Now you are the Minister of Health and Welfare Ministry

A real case happened in Taiwan in 2009

H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009

1.      First described in April

2.      Declared to become “pandemic” in June

3.      Containment strategy in Taiwan including Border control, Health care system control, Disease monitoring, vaccination

Controversy

1.      Vaccine side effect

2.      Lin Moguls pocket

Participants’ feedback

(1)

Casey ...What a meeting!! I cannot believe this is your very first meeting in Bliss which you organize and plan the whole meeting so well, in the beginning you arouse most female Blissers’ interests via the introduction of HPV Vaccine , and also the "fierce" discussion on whether HPV Vaccine shall apply to all 13- -year-old female teenagers starting from this year in Taiwan 

And the most impressive and inspiring part of your meeting definitely the question on the governmental decision making on an influenza scenario case you brought to us , which it turned out a real H1N1(SARS) case broke out in Taiwan in 2009 ...the answers from ourselves can be immediately examined by the result we saw afterwards in 2010.

The last Ted Talk clip you shared made a stronger connection between ourselves and the social responsibility, which taking the vaccines not only protecting each individuals, but to all the other publics who cannot take vaccines.

Vaccines once were so close to us as we need to take them from our childhood, but since it was so long ago that we never recall or try to understand the true effect and meaning behind, and I definitely need to say " thank you " again and sincerely to you, Casey, you really arouse our awareness toward the importance and the power of Vaccine ~!! It's more than just personal health protection but a global public health issue and topic that all of us shall pay attention to ~!!

(2)

While the crowd was making noise, you still were loosely n nicely hosting the meeting.  You still were cool as a cucumber sharing the knowledge of vaccine with members.  While you were laughing out loud, you could always stay on the track.  I believe you were the apple of our eyes, being very likable. It was truly appreciated you were very knowledgeable and insightful as of ‘vaccine’ techniques. I think everyone felt ‘vaccinated’ and we have become ‘immune ‘now.   Those who were couch potato swiping cellphone all day would have felt ‘regretful’ for not attending. What was most impressed was your toss-up questions were fun-filled and sparked our passion to engage in.  Along the line, your ending cut by playing a video clip was touching and inspiring.   It was super your voice was heard and your opinions were shared. I've immersed myself into the whole scenarios where I found the value and truth of your presentation was great. Our life could have gone pear-shaped if your thorough info was not spreader out.  

Hostess’ feedback:

Thank you all for coming my meeting today. I cannot make it without you (adorable) it’s really interesting and exciting to hear your point of view when it comes to decide the policy. With these different opinions we can have more idea of it. It’s glad to hear that you learned something new in the meeting and I also learned a lot from you. (Laugh face) Thank you all again for coming

Reflections

It is really a fun and informative meeting ever.  Under Casey’s guidance, we went step by step looking into our immunization record and the concerns as a vaccine recipient or a policy minister at the epidemic outbreak moments!  Today’s meeting enriches our lives and broadens our horizon, for which we appreciate Casey’s dedication and all the participant’s outputs. Look forward to her next meeting soon. Stay in tune

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Here is Casey’s supplementary information for all Blissers! Let’s enjoy her reading together!

1.       The way of vaccine works.

Vaccines are made by the dead or weaker virus/ bacteria (also called antigens). After injected into our body, our immune system would produce antibodies and remember the antigens. Therefore, when the real virus/ bacteria come, our immune system can active quickly and kill the antigens.

2.      Diseases can be prevented and eradicated by vaccines.

Many infectious diseases became vaccine-prevented disease. Some lethal diseases also are eradicated since vaccination rate increase through vaccine include into public health policies.

3.      The power of herd immunity

There are two ways that vaccines can protect us.

The first is they protect individuals against infectious diseases.

The second is herd immunity, it means when enough people in the population get vaccinated, the disease cannot spread through one to another, just like a firewall. So even people who cannot take the vaccine, like babies, allergies...etc., they can be protected. Herd immunity that we know to take the vaccine not only for the individual’s benefit, but also the responsibility to the society.

4.      To make a public health decision is always tough, but the government and the publics can do more communications to reduce suspicious.

When a pandemic happened in the population, we had many ways to prevent disease to spread. It’s included Border control, Health care system control, Disease monitoring, and Vaccination. Vaccination is effective and easy way to operate; it’s also the way that WHO recommended. The government can give the public’s more information to decrease the untrusted of the society and also, we should get more information before vaccination.

5.      Not every vaccine is wealthy to include in the public health policies, but we can do our best to prevent disease.

Since vaccine can prevent severe infectious diseases and the protection would be affected by the vaccination rate. Most of vaccines are necessary and reasonable to be included into public health policies. Some disease, like HPV, the transmission is not so quickly and fast, government can consider the budget to include it or not.

For the country like Taiwan, most of diseases are controlled by vaccines. We can move forward to next step to eradicate more heart-breaking disease

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