“The fre, the grip osi. Alon vaksiné! The seasonal flu vaccination campaign will run until September 30, 2020 in Reunion.
To raise awareness, a communication campaign has been launched by the Reunion ARS and Reunion Health Insurance, with the slogan: ” The freeze, the grip osi. Alon vaksiné! ” The aim is to bring the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses to the point where they realize that the flu can be serious and that the first step in protecting themselves is vaccination.
Assessment of the 2019 campaign: still insufficient vaccination coverage
In 2019, the flu vaccination campaign showed weak support from Reunion Islanders:
- 52,785 eligible people vaccinated in Reunion, on 157,787 persons concerned
- vaccine coverage of just over 33% eligible people: slightly down compared to 2018, and well below the national average (around 50%).
For the past 2 years, we have observed that the flu epidemic began late in Reunion, that is to say at the end of the southern winter, around September, with an epidemic peak at the end of September. The epidemic in 2019 was intense:
- 7 deaths
- 60,000 consultations among general practitioners
- 102 people hospitalized, whose 67 serious cases (+ 50% compared to 2018)
- 44 severe cases presented a risk factor. Vaccination coverage was largely insufficient for these 44 people since only 6 patients were vaccinated against influenza.
Priority vaccination of fragile people
Some of these severe cases could have been prevented with the use of vaccination. The latter is particularly recommended for frail people (people 65 years and older, people with a chronic disease or severe obesity, pregnant women) in whom it can cause severe or even fatal forms.
We must not wait for the arrival of the epidemic to do so because we must count about 15 days between vaccination and when the body is protected against the flu.
All health professionals, whether they practice in institutions or in private practice, are also invited to be vaccinated. The goal is to protect themselves but also to protect their patients, and to limit the spread of the flu in establishments and practices.
5 good reasons to get vaccinated
- The flu can be dangerous (high fever, pain, fatigue, risk of hospitalization, etc.). It can cause serious complications.
- Vaccines are the most effective way to protect yourself. The flu is a contagious and unpredictable disease. By being vaccinated, you reduce the risk of getting the flu.
- The vaccine decreases the severity of the flu.
- The vaccine cannot transmit the flu. Its side effects are most often not serious.
- The vaccine protects you and your family. It reduces the risk of transmission of the virus to your loved ones.
Although it does not always prevent illness, the vaccine reduces the risk of serious complications or death. People can be vaccinated by their health professionals: doctor, midwife, nurse, or pharmacist.
In the current context of the coronavirus-Covid epidemic19, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) recommends maintaining the vaccination campaign against influenza and improving the coverage rates among people at risk and healthcare professionals.
100% coverage of the vaccine for populations at risk and healthcare professionals
Vaccines have been available in pharmacies since the beginning of June 2020. A letter of invitation and management of the vaccination is sent, by post, by Health Insurance to the persons concerned:
- all insured persons over 65,
- people with certain chronic diseases
- eligible liberal health professionals (general practitioners, pediatricians, gynecologists, midwives, pharmacists holding dispensaries, nurses, physiotherapists, dentists and podiatrist pedicures).
Given the difficulty in targeting pregnant women, the family circle of infants at risk, and people in obesity, these people will not be recipients of the invitation letter from the Health Insurance, and are invited to approach their treating doctor, midwife, nurse, or pharmacist who will issue them the care form if their state of health requires it.
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