Influenza Season Update: Department of Health Investigates Additional Deaths and Encourages Vaccination

The Department of Health is investigating nine additional deaths associated with influenza, which would raise the number of fatalities due to this virus so far this season to 51, if its link with this disease is validated.

Dr. Iris Cardona, chief medical officer of the Department of Health, clarified that none of these latest deaths have been pediatric, despite the fact that the epidemic declared last week by the Secretary of Health, Carlos Mellado, is concentrated in minors up to 19 years.

Regarding the registered deaths, Cardona commented that, with more cases, there will be more hospitalizations and fatalities. Last season, 15 deaths from influenza were reported. This season, 42 have already been confirmed.

“It is not a national public health emergency (yet),” the epidemiologist warned, although she urged the population to pay attention to its development and take measures to reduce the risk of contagion.

Vaccination at a good pace

As the main tool, he highlighted vaccination. Regarding this aspect, he mentioned that, since the epidemic was declared on Thursday until Monday, 24,474 people have been immunized against influenza. “The call to declare an epidemic did work,” he said.

In total, he reported, since this season’s flu vaccine arrived in September, until this Monday at 3:00 pm, 313,801 doses had been administered. Last season, that sum reached 456,219.

Cardona recalled that in the 2009-2010 season, when there was an influenza pandemic, 650,000 vaccines were administered.

“The pace (of vaccination) is quite good. “It is better than other years,” she explained.

The vaccine, stated the pediatric infectologist, is available in pharmacies, vaccination centers and health providers authorized to inoculate. Medical plans, she stressed, are required to cover it, while she commented that people without health insurance can go to primary health centers, also called 330 Centers, where they pay $10 for the vaccine.

He added that vaccination clinics are also being held in schools, shopping centers and supermarkets and efforts are being made to do the same with bedridden people and people with difficulty moving through a telephone line (787-522-3985) through which these are coordinated. cases.

The official stated that the influenza vaccine is authorized from 6 months and that the recommendation for children under 9 years of age without a recent history of this vaccine is to receive two doses.

Negative cases that end up being positive

On the other hand, Cardona highlighted that people who test negative, but still have symptoms suspicious of influenza, should repeat the test after 24 to 48 hours.

Pediatricians Carmen Suárez and Fernando Ysern agreed that many cases are testing negative but, after several days, they turn out to be positive.

“If they go very quickly (to get treatment from the onset of symptoms), many come back negative. Therefore, the most important thing is the symptoms,” warned Suárez, who commented that cough, above all, can take weeks to control.

Ysern stressed that influenza remains a clinical diagnosis. In suspected cases, he said, a blood cell count (CBC) is ordered, in addition to influenza and COVID-19 testing.

Pediatricians urged the population not to send their children to school if they are sick to avoid infecting others. They stressed that these cases must be in isolation for five to seven days, depending on the duration of symptoms.

Cardona stressed that, although the use of masks is not compulsory, it is recommended, especially in populations vulnerable to complications.

2023-11-14 23:40:00
#Health #investigates #additional #deaths #influenza