Flu communication | Informative campaign for flu patients 2022
Every year, the Public Health Agency of Catalonia promotes a seasonal flu vaccination campaign. It will begin on 17 October.
Vaccination does not always prevent contracting the flu: its effectiveness depends on the degree of similarity between the vaccine strains and the circulating flu strains. It should also be borne in mind that in many cases the flu-like symptoms that appear in vaccinated people are not influenza but other viruses that are common at the time of vaccination.
Influenza affects between 5 and 20% of the population every year and causes a large number of cases, hospitalisations, admissions to intensive care units and deaths. In the last flu campaign in Catalonia there were more than 100,000 cases of flu, 1,169 hospitalisations and 145 deaths from the disease (of which 23 were under 65 years of age).
The flu virus is contagious from one day before symptoms appear until five days later. Children are the main transmitters (they are contagious from 6 days before symptoms appear until 14 days after).
It is estimated that, thanks to the vaccine, 37% of deaths and 40% of admissions to the ICU were prevented in 2019. In other words, the vaccine is the best tool available to prevent influenza and its complications.
It is indicated for people over 60 years of age, people with immunodeficiencies or chronic diseases, pregnant women, health, teaching and security workers, and children aged 6 months to 5 years.
Do we have to vaccinate all children aged 6 months to 5 years? The Catalan and Spanish Society of Paediatrics advises that yes, everyone, since children from 6 months to 5 years are the major transmitters, they are the ones who suffer 50% of cases of influenza and have a percentage of admissions and complications equal to the group of 65 to 85 years, although they are healthy children without underlying pathologies,
For this reason, from the Gemma Morera paediatric centre we advise you to get vaccinated, young and adults.
There are two vaccines available:
- a) Intramuscular: You are afraid to administer it from the age of 6 months and it is subsidised by the public health system.
- b) Intranasal, which can be administered from 2 to 50 years of age, and is not financed by the health system. Its advantages are that it is easy to administer and that, as it acts on the nasal passages, it reduces transmission and the presence of symptoms, as it acts at the “entry point” of the virus. The price is 37.47 euros.
In both cases, only 1 dose is needed, except in children under 9 years of age who have never received any flu vaccine, who need 2 doses, 4 weeks apart.
If you would like to be vaccinated in our centre, please let us know, how many people and what type of vaccine, intramuscular or intranasal, as soon as possible so that we can make a forecast of the order we have to make and that no one is left without the vaccine. You can inform us on WhatsApp reception 671518443
Thank you very much to all of you for your trust.
