Here we go again ! This Friday, October 7, 2016, the Ministry of Health relaunched its campaign against seasonal flu. Vaccination invitations have been sent to 11 million French people, and within a few days pharmacists will be able to market the vaccine, 2016 version.
Because, we tend to forget, seasonal flu is not a trivial disease: each year, it affects between 2 and 8 million people in France and causes between 1,000 and 2,000 deaths*. In 2015, in France, 1100 cases deemed “serious” were listed. And between 2013 and 2014, the flu contributed (indirectly, by causing complications) to 7,700 deaths in France.
As every year, the individuals considered “at risk” are people aged 65 and over, people with certain chronic diseases (diabetes, respiratory, cardiac or renal insufficiency, etc.), pregnant women and people withsevere obesity (BMI greater than 40). For these people, vaccination is strongly recommended: it is also free thanks to the invitation sent by the Health Insurance. To achieve a drastic drop in seasonal flu-related mortality, 75% of those at risk would need to be protected…
A vaccine that is safe for health
On the safety side, professionals point out that the injection of the seasonal flu vaccine is not dangerous because it contains no adjuvant and in particular no aluminum. On the other hand, adverse effects (fever, muscle pain, etc.) may appear in 5% to 10% of the population.
During the 2015-2016 season, the vaccination campaign bore fruit: 48% of invitations resulted in an injection. The slogan to remember? “To avoid hospitalization, switch to vaccination”.
*Source: Expertise and Information Group on the Flu.
