Seasonal flu is a respiratory infection, like the new Covid-19 disease. Each year, 2 to 8 million people are affected, according to the Pasteur Institute, with an excess of mortality of 10,000 to 15,000 deaths in France.
Opinions of health professionals
As the fall / winter season approaches, some professionals are concerned. The flu that comes back every year is caused by the Influenza virus and mainly attacks the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat and bronchi). Every year, health authorities anticipate hospitalizations linked to the flu, but this year, it is the epidemic linked to the new coronavirus that concerns them. Some say that Influenza will affect fewer people, thanks to the application of barrier gestures, while others recommend mass vaccination, especially fragile people. This recommendation would prevent hospitals from being saturated with patients with complications from seasonal influenza. Indeed, “although influenza epidemics are annual, they remain unpredictable, we do not know when they will start, which viruses will circulate, how long they will last. Nor can we predict the intensity or severity of an epidemic ”. The WHO global network is mobilized every year to monitor influenza and follow the evolution of the virus.
The seasonal flu vaccine, for whom?
For the moment, vaccination against influenza is not at all compulsory. On the other hand, it is recommended for populations at risk, such as the elderly, pregnant women, diabetics, the immunocompromised, infants, people with chronic diseases or morbid obesity. The vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from Influenza. It decreases the risk of developing a severe form of the flu. On the other hand, it is not necessarily necessary for people who have robust health. In addition, the seasonal flu vaccine does not cause an immune response against the new coronavirus. It is very contagious and that is why it is also advisable for nursing staff, people in after-care facilities and those in contact with vulnerable people, to be vaccinated. The duration of protection of the vaccine is 6 to 9 months. In fact, influenza viruses change genetically every year. The composition of the vaccine is therefore adjusted according to the most recent strains in circulation.
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