Who should get a flu shot and why this year is more important than ever

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This week, in case we already had few emotions, the flu vaccination campaign begins.

Every year we insist on it, but in this new 2020-2021 season, in the midst of a pandemic and with the coronavirus lurking, trying to avoid a flu epidemic through vaccination is more important than ever.

The way the patio is, we can't afford any more respiratory viruses

.

What is the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic?

On the one hand, the expansion from the geographical point of view of the disease, that is to say, how distributed the disease is throughout the world.

On the other hand, the rapid increase in cases of affected people.

In a pandemic, as with the coronavirus,

, as it usually happens every year in our country with the flu.

The WHO is in charge of establishing when a disease has escaped our control and has become a pandemic.

Was there a flu epidemic in Spain last year?

Yes. And to start the year with joy, it coincidentally began the first week of January, just like the flu epidemic described during the 2018-2019 season.

Last year it was considered an 'epidemic' by exceeding the threshold set at 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

And how many people is this?

The proportion of the population affected during annual epidemics ranges from 5% to 15% in large populations, although it can be higher than 50% in closed population groups such as school boarding schools or nursing homes.

.

What are the risk groups for vaccination?

There are mainly four.

The first and easiest to identify are those

(60 years in Madrid).

The second risk group is made up of

chronic cardiovascular diseases (excluding isolated arterial hypertension) or pulmonary (including asthma).

People with metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity with a BMI greater than 40 and a long list would also be part of this group.

The third risk group are

, such as caregivers or nursing home workers.

And the fourth group of risk are the

as firefighters, policemen, health personnel, etc.

I belong to a risk group and I want to get vaccinated: what should I do?

If you belong to a risk group, the ideal is to make an appointment from today.

In general, it is vaccinated in health centers and clinics, nursing homes, municipal centers and other vaccination centers for personnel at risk.

While in Spain the flu vaccination rate in risk groups is 50%, the WHO sets the target to reach 75%.

I do not belong to any risk group but I want to be vaccinated: what should I do?

In previous seasons (read with the voice of Netflix), the flu vaccine has suffered from shortages in pharmacies from where it is dispensed to the general population with a prescription.

This year they have already warned "from above" that it is expected that a few or very few units will arrive at the pharmacy offices.

The health authorities have referred all possible stocks to the public health to offer coverage and this is important, but it is also important

to guarantee the supply.

Is it possible that this year, by wearing the mask, we get less contagious?

In principle, all preventive measures (use of a mask, physical distance, hand washing) would contribute to reducing the risk of flu transmission.

but we cannot raise the bells to the flight.

The lower incidence of influenza in the southern hemisphere may be due to the fact that in recent months the situation that we went through here in spring has been experiencing in recent months, with harsh confinements (school closings included) and this could affect the low transmission.

How the flu virus will behave this year in the northern hemisphere is still unknown and will depend on many factors.

Myth 1: If I get a flu shot, I can get the flu.

Most flu vaccines are made from killed viruses.

And well dead.

If a person suffers an upper respiratory disease in the days after vaccination, do not panic!

Far from the fact that this infection is related to the administration of the influenza vaccine,

coinciding in time with the vaccination.

Myth 2: The flu vaccine is not effective.

The flu vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective.

Is it less effective than other vaccines?

Yes, it is between 25% and 60% effective.

But the data indicate that if you get it, you will suffer the disease in a milder way.

Furthermore, it

.

It is not a negligible figure considering that, as we said, 6,300 people died from the flu in Spain in the 18/19 season.

No, there is no doubt that this vaccine is less effective than others.

But there is also no doubt that vaccination reduces severe disease and deaths in the elderly and in people with chronic diseases.

Myth 3: It's easy to tell the flu from the coronavirus

The flu and Covid-19 really share many common symptoms.

A good eye can be difficult to identify whether fever, general malaise or muscle pain, among others, are due to one or another disease.

For now, no unequivocal symptoms have been defined and for this reason we

, which allow us to easily rule out one or another disease.

Why is it necessary to get a flu shot every year?

At this stage of the pandemic, who more and who less has a virologist inside and knows that viruses mutate.

While the coronavirus seems like it is going to be a better boy in this sense and it is expected that it will mutate less - let's cross our fingers -

.

These viruses have little skewers, spicules on their surface.

To explain it in a simple way, those little skewers would symbolize that the virus has dyed its hair a certain color.

The vaccine is designed each year to recognize viruses with that particular hair color.

Let's say your hair is red this year.

But if the virus starts to dye its hair blue in the middle of the season ... bad business.

The vaccine may no longer recognize it because the virus is playing tricks.

For next year vaccines with viruses that have blue hair will be designed ... although it is not ruled out that the virus then decides to dye itself green.

And start over.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• Science and Health

• Coronavirus

• Covid 19

• Infectious diseases

• Respiratory diseases

• Flu

• Vaccinations

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