The beginning of autumn is one of the indicators that the flu season begins, a viral disease caused by the Influenza virus that affects about one billion people around the world each year. In Spain, in 2021, 29,000 affected people were detected.
To clearly understand what this condition is like and why preventive vaccination is so important, especially at certain ages, we have Dr. Alejandro Rolo Ramírez, specialist in Internal Medicine at the Dr. Alaejos Clinic.
Why does the flu vaccine change every year?
It is a very common question among the population and the answer is very simple: the vaccine changes, because the virus changes. “It must be understood that influenza as a disease is caused by a family of viruses (Influenza Virus) that, due to its genetic characteristics, has the ability to mutate and change its cell surface antigens with certain regularity, thus generating new subspecies or subtypes, which gives them “power” when infecting and, therefore, spreading,” says Dr. Alejandro Rolo.
It is for this reason that once the new subtypes are identified, they are ‘included’ in the annual flu vaccine, so that our immune system recognizes it and can give an optimal response. As an extra piece of information, Dr. Rolo explains to us that “generally, flu vaccines contain information about the viruses that have caused the greatest health problems, such as subtype A H1N1, which caused a pandemic in 2009. “.
Why might flu vaccination be important?
By getting vaccinated we are giving our immune system the necessary tools to act against the Influenza virus, and quickly control it so that it passes like a common cold.
Many people have in mind that the flu is a kind of ‘strong cold’, but the reality is that “the annual flu vaccination is essential to prevent serious respiratory infections that can lead to complications such as death. Yes, death. The “flu as a respiratory infection can trigger inflammatory/infectious processes at the respiratory level that can be very serious, as much as the one now known to everyone as coronavirus infection (COVID-19),” clarifies Dr. Rolo.
What type of patients can be recommended a preventive flu vaccination?
Every year the Ministry of Health publishes a document with seasonal vaccination recommendations against flu in autumn-winter.
For his part, Dr. Alejandro Rolo specifies some patients who must take special care and who should be vaccinated preventively: “Those people who are considered ‘vulnerable’ will always be recommended to suffer more complications from potentially serious infectious conditions, such as people 60 years or older, as well as those with associated diseases that are considered at risk, such as diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity, chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, renal, hematological diseases, etc.”
Are there any side effects from the flu vaccine?
One of the concerns that more and more people have are the side effects derived from medical treatments. In the case of the flu vaccine, Dr. Rolo clarifies that “the most common thing is that no, you only have a little of pain in the administration area or a post-vaccination pseudocatarrhal, with low-grade fever.
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Of course, he also clarifies that there are people who may have slightly “stronger” reactions, but generally these “do not become so serious as to require hospitalization.” And in case there is any doubt, Dr. Alejandro Rolo It also reminds us that we must not forget that any treatment, acute, preventive or in this case vaccination, is always motivated by the benefit that the patient may perceive.
2023-11-02 09:43:58
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