Influenza affects between 5% and 15% of the population each year, and worldwide it is estimated to be the cause of 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths each year. . In the European Union, according to the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC), the flu causes up to 40,000 deaths each year with a high demand for health services and a high health and economic impact.
In Spain it is estimated that between 10 and 14.8% of temporary annual disabilities are due to the flu. Through vaccination, the aim is to reduce morbidity and mortality, decrease the transmission of the virus in the community and protect the integrity of the health system of our country.
According to Dr. Tomas Pumarola, a member of the SEIMC, “the best way to avoid the disease is through vaccination. This is mainly recommended for people who have a higher risk of presenting complications in the event of suffering from the flu, for whom they may transmit the disease to others who are at high risk of complications and those who, by their occupation, provide essential services in the community”.
Who should get a flu shot
The population groups for whom flu vaccination is recommended, preferably between the months of October and November, are as follows.
-Over 6 months with chronic diseases (cardiovascular or pulmonary, metabolic…), or some type of immunodeficiency. Morbidly obese people are also included.
-Over 65 years.
– Pregnant women.
-Professionals who provide essential services in society (doctors, nurses…)
-People who work or live with people at high risk of having complications from the flu.
Vaccine reduces mortality
Dr. José Maria Navarro, also a member of the SEIMC, points out that “what is recommended by the World Health Organization is that by 2015 the rate of 75% of people over 65 years of age vaccinated against the flu should be reached. They are currently vaccinated around 25% of the population over 18 years of age, reaching up to around 65% in risk groups (elderly and chronically ill)”.
Navarro also highlights the data from Ontario (where free universal vaccination was introduced in 2002) as an example of vaccine effectiveness, suggesting that mortality and the use of health resources could be reduced by more than 40% through universal vaccination.
How not to get the flu
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid contact with sick people. The flu is a disease that is transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets produced by coughing and sneezing, or even by speaking. Less frequently, the flu can be transmitted through contact with surfaces or objects with the presence of the virus and subsequent inoculation by touching one’s own mouth or nose. Most people can infect others from one day before flu symptoms start to 5 to 7 days after flu symptoms start.