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This year the flu started circulating earlier than expected. According to an epidemiological alert from the National Ministry of Health, a significant increase in the number of cases of influenza A of the H3N2 group was detected, when the rise in the number of infections is usually detected during the fall and winter. For this reason, the start of the influenza vaccination campaign is eagerly awaited in order to protect, above all, the risk groups, and then continue with the rest of the population that wishes to be inoculated.
The national health portfolio will begin to receive between this Friday and Monday, March 21, the first delivery of flu vaccines. “The delivery of nearly 1,120,000 doses of influenza vaccines was possible after taking the necessary steps in order to have the doses as soon as possible. Once the logistics conditioning process has elapsed, the vaccines will start being distributed to all 24 jurisdictions early next week”, they explained from the portfolio led by Carla Vizzotti.
From the province of Buenos Aires, indicated that at the end of the month the free vaccination campaign will begin in hospitals and health centers, but they are waiting for the arrival of the vaccines that are distributed by the National State. The same happens with the City, where they indicated that they plan to start vaccination at the end of this month or the beginning of April.
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As for the private sector, from Galeno they pointed out to THE NATION that the vaccination campaign for its members will begin next Monday and they will apply the quadrivalent vaccine which, according to Ricardo Teijeiro, a member of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases (SADI), in addition to including the H3N2 variant, which is the one with the greatest circulation, adds protection against two other lineages of influenza B.
OSDE, meanwhile, will offer the same vaccine to its members and will start applying it the first of next month.
People who want to be vaccinated can also go to a pharmacy. For example, Farmacity is going to apply it in its more than 200 branches. “We are going to give the quadrivalent vaccine in our pharmacies for the 2022 Flu Vaccination campaign. Patients will be able to take their appointment through the digital shift to go to the branches. The provision of doses is stipulated for next week or the last days of this month. We still do not have the data on what the price of the vaccine will be plus the application service, ”company sources informed THE NATION.
The groups that have included the flu vaccine in the National Vaccination Calendar are pregnant women, who can apply it in any trimester of pregnancy. In that case, the vaccine protects both the mother and the baby (through the passage of antibodies through the placenta). Another group is children aged 6 to 24 months, who should be inoculated with two doses separated by at least four weeks if they have not already received two doses of the flu vaccine previously. If they have received them, they will have to apply only one dose.
Then there are the risk groups that have an indication to receive the vaccine, such as people who have underlying diseases (diabetes, immunodeficiencies, transplant recipients, among others) and those over 65 years of age. In addition, health personnel will also have to be vaccinated against the flu. However, according to Teijeiro, anyone who wants to “protect themselves from the virus” can get vaccinated.
“Risk groups yes or yes should be inoculated because they are the ones who are most at risk from the disease, but that does not mean that anyone who wants to be protected cannot go to a vaccination center and get vaccinated against the flu, there is no contraindication in that sense”, indicates the specialist.
On the growth of cases before the arrival of autumn, Leda Guzzi, a member of the (SADI), explains that the months of isolation and strict care measures have restricted the circulation of the influenza virus. “During the pandemic there were very few respiratory viruses circulating due to the lack of contact between people, but at the same time vaccination rates fell, including the flu, and to this is added that also by not circulating and being in contact with people, it is It is likely that the population has lost some natural immunity that is generated by being exposed to the virus. That is why it is now important that the indicated groups apply the flu vaccine”, explains the specialist.
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