Tuesday, October 15 will be the start of the flu vaccination campaign. Who is it recommended for? Where and by whom should the injection be performed? What is the composition of the vaccine? We take stock.
From tomorrow, Tuesday October 15, it will be possible to be vaccinated against the seasonal flu, announces the Health Insurance on his website. This vaccination campaign will continue until January 31, 2020.
While last year, the epidemic caused more than 9,500 deaths according to figures from Public Health Francethe flu vaccination campaign that begins this fall is enriched with several new features.
What’s new in the 2019-2020 vaccine campaign
The vaccination course for adults eligible for vaccination is thus simplified. Whether or not they have already been vaccinated, they will be able to collect their vaccine from the pharmacy tomorrow on presentation of their voucher and be vaccinated by the professional of their choice: doctor, midwife, nurse or volunteer pharmacist. . The prior prescription of the doctor remains however necessary for patients under 18 years of age.
Another novelty: it is no longer necessary to make an appointment with the doctor or a nurse to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu since the vaccine can be administered in pharmacies. After the success of the experiment carried out in October 2017 in two regions by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health, this system had already been extended last year to the New Aquitaine, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Hauts-de-France regions. and Occitania. Its objective: to encourage the French, and in particular people at risk, to go to a pharmacy to be vaccinated against seasonal flu.
For whom is vaccination recommended?
Vaccination against influenza is particularly recommended for those most at risk: those over 65, pregnant women, adults and children over 6 months suffering from certain chronic diseases such as diabetes or asthma, people with long-term illness status (ALD), people with HIV as well as obese people and the family circle of infants under 6 months at risk of serious influenza. These people, for whom vaccination against the flu is strongly recommended, can collect their vaccine from a pharmacy on presentation of a health insurance voucher, free of charge. Vaccination is also recommended for health professionals, in regular contact with subjects at risk of serious influenza. The vaccine is 100% covered by health insurance.
What is the composition of the vaccine?
According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the tetravalent vaccine will include the following strains, which will potentially circulate next winter:
– Virus type A / Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1) pdm09;
– Virus type A / Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2);
– Type B virus /Colorado/06/2017 (Victoria/2/87 lineage);
– Type B virus /Phuket/3073/2013 (Yamagata/16/88 lineage).
What vaccines will be available?
In France, three vaccines will be available tomorrow:
– Influvac (trivalent): for children from 6 months and adults;
– Vaxigrip Tetra (tetravalent): for children from 6 months and adults;
– Influvac Tetra (tetravalent): for children from 3 years old and adults.
Note that once the vaccine has been administered, a fortnight is necessary before protection against the flu is effective.
.
