A person receives a flu vaccine, in a file image. (EFE/Ana Escobar)
Spain awaits this Monday the presentation of the vaccination campaign of the year gripe and covid. The country is preparing to face these diseases with a high incidence in the winter months and to prevent the greatest number of cases, especially among risk groupsand thus avoid the collapse of the health system in the last months of the year.
These two viral infections do not seem to cause major health problems for the general population today, but they can be catastrophic for the most vulnerable. In Spain, nearly 800,000 people suffer from the flu each year, according to the Spanish Association of Vaccinology, and the vaccination It is the most effective measure to prevent its transmission among the population.
The Ministry of Health considers people especially vulnerable to the flu and covid-19 over 60 years old, pregnant and people who live with others who have a high degree of immunosuppression. It is also recommended for people over 5 years old in disability centers, nursing homes and other closed institutions, as well as people over 12 years old who have risk conditions (chronic diseases, diabetes, obesity, cancer…).
It also includes in the target group the personnel of health and socio-health establishments and those who work in essential public services, such as police, firefighters, civil protection…
Recently, the pediatrician and spokesperson for the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV), Fernando Moraga-Llop, has advocated in statements to EFE for expand the vaccination range for minorsfrom six months to 18 years. The doctor understands that the flu is a very contagious disease, which can be serious and especially affects children, who are the main transmitters. Every winter, seasonal flu causes between 4,000 and 6,000 child hospitalizations and between 8 and 10 deaths in children.
Calendario. (Pexels)
Influenza viruses have a high capacity to change each year, according to the Spanish Association of Vaccinology, which makes it necessary to update the vaccine each season. Vaccination schedules usually vary depending on the autonomous community in which you live, but they usually begin from the second half of October. Firstly, because we must be prepared for the impact that the virus may have on the population and, therefore, on the health system; but also to take advantage of its effectiveness.
The Ministry of Health explains that the flu vaccine begins to take effect after two weeks of its application, so it is interesting to start before the spread of the virus begins. Experts like the doctor Edward Liuhead of the infectious diseases section of the Jersey Shore University Medical Centeror the doctor Andrew Handelan expert in pediatric infectious diseases at the Hospital Infantil Stony Brook from New York, point out that there is no specific ideal day to get vaccinated, but there is an optimal period. They recommend doing it in September or October to ensure maximum protection during the months when flu cases are most common.
Some studies estimate that this vaccine reduces the risk of contracting this disease from 40% of a 60%so it can not only prevent contagion but, if the virus is transmitted, it reduces the severity of the disease in the patient.
While regions like Castile and León y Cantabria have already started, others like Madrid, the Basque Country y Balearics They will begin the process on October 7, and the Valencian Community will do so on October 14.
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