In October, the flu vaccination campaign begins in Spain. Many Internal Medicine specialists affirm that the best way to prevent the consequences of this pathology is the flu vaccine. This vaccine prepares the organism for the generation of antibodies that protect against the virus.
What is the flu?
The flu is a contagious respiratory infection that affects the nose, throat and lungs. It affects not only sick people, but also healthy and young people. Symptoms are usually varied and include:
- Body and muscle pain
- Chills
- Cough
- Fever
- Headache
- Sore throat
How do I know if I need to be vaccinated?
Experts recommend annual vaccination for those over six months of age. Among the positive effects of the flu vaccine, we can find that it reduces by more than 70% ICU admissions in pediatrics and hospitalizations in all age groups. In addition, it is possible to reduce by 80% the hospitalizations of patients suffering from diabetes and by 50% the admissions of patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
In accordance with the principle of individual freedom, any person is free to receive the vaccine or not. However, it is recommended that people who face the public, such as doctors, nurses, teachers, caregivers, etc., should be vaccinated as they are an important vector of contagion.
Types of vaccines
There are different types of influenza vaccines, although the most common is the standard-dose trivalent vaccine for people between six months and 64 years of age. For patients over 65 years of age there is the trivalent vaccine, which has a higher dose. In addition, for people between 2 and 49 years of age, the quadrivalent vaccine by nasal spray is also recommended.
When is it not necessary to be vaccinated?
There are groups of people who do not have to be vaccinated for different reasons. Some of these groups are:
- Children under 6 months of age.
- Patients allergic to the flu vaccine.
- Patients who have presented Guillain Barré syndrome.
- Patients suffering from any other pathology incompatible with the flu vaccine.
- Patients suffering from uncontrolled autoimmune diseases, since the immune booster may activate these diseases.