The Public Health Agency of Catalonia promotes a seasonal flu vaccination campaign every year. It will start on October 17.
Vaccination does not always prevent contracting influenza: the effectiveness depends on the degree of similarity between the vaccine strains and the circulating influenza strains. It should also be borne in mind that in many cases the flu-like symptoms that appear in vaccinated persons are not influenza but other viruses common at the time of vaccination.
Influenza affects annually between 5 and 20% of the population and causes a large number of cases, hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units and deaths. In the last anti-flu campaign in Catalonia there were more than 100,000 cases of influenza, 1,169 hospitalized and 145 deaths due to this disease (of which 23 were under 65 years of age).
The flu virus is contagious from one day before the onset of symptoms to five days after. Children are the major transmitters (contagious from 6 days before symptoms to 14 days after).
It is estimated that, thanks to the vaccine, 37% of deaths and 40% of ICU admissions 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, healthcare, teaching and security workers, and children from 6 months to 5 years of age.
Do we have to vaccinate all children from 6 months to 5 years old? The Catalan and Spanish Society of Pediatrics advises that yes, all of them, since children from 6 months to 5 years of age are the major transmitters, they are the ones who suffer 50% of the cases of influenza and have a percentage of admissions and complications equal to the group from 65 to 85 years of age, even if they are healthy children without underlying pathologies,
Therefore, from the Gemma Morera pediatric center we advise you to get vaccinated, young and old.
Two vaccines are available
- a) Intramuscular: It is administered from the age of 6 months and is subsidized 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, since it acts at the "entry point" of the virus. The price is 37.47 euros.
In both cases, only 1 dose is required, except in children under 9 years of age who have never received any influenza vaccine, who need 2 doses, 4 weeks apart.
If you want to be vaccinated in our center, 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 vaccine. You can inform us in the reception WhatsApp 671518443
Thank you all very much as always for your trust.
