The flu vaccination campaign will start in the Canary Islands on October 15 and Health has highlighted the importance of vulnerable groups going to get immunized, in order to have people at risk protected and avoid confusion with Covid, in addition to minimizing the risk of collapse due to the coexistence of these two diseases.
This was stated this Wednesday by the Minister of Health, Blas Trujillo, and the head of the Epidemiology section of the General Directorate of Public Health, Amós García, during the presentation of the vaccination campaign for this year.
In this regard, Trujillo stressed the importance of vaccination against influenza this year, as "it is the most effective means of preventing contracting or transmitting influenza." "And obviously -he continued- we will reduce the possibility of confusion with Covid, being able to reduce the stress and the risk of collapse that the coexistence and care of these two diseases can cause in our care system."
The counselor explained that influenza is one of the main infectious diseases of respiratory transmission in the Canary Islands and recalled that last year alone there were 250 serious cases, of which 36 died.
There will be 380,000 doses, compared to 240,000 last year
For this year, the Government of the Canary Islands has acquired 320,000 doses for this campaign, to which must be added another 60,000 provided by the Ministry of Health within the strategic reserve made for the whole country. In total, there will be 380,000 doses, well above the 240,000 that were acquired during the last campaign
"What we intend is to increase the percentages of care for the most vulnerable groups. We are talking here about people over 60 years of age, people diagnosed with chronic pathologies of any age, pregnant women and health and social health personnel," he said.
Avoid the effects of the coexistence of influenza and Covid
For his part, Amós García commented that this year getting vaccinated against the flu is of vital importance, since every year there are complications, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths derived from this disease, mainly in people who were not vaccinated.
"If we add to this -he continued- the possible complications derived from the coronavirus infection, the scenario is very unappetizing, but it would also contribute to generate greater stress to the health system and, therefore, a greater probability of situations of health collapse."
Nor did he forget that the coexistence of both diseases could create problems of differential diagnosis between influenza and Covid, "which we could obviate if we have the vulnerable population vaccinated."
García pointed out that this year a vaccine profile will be used that is one of the "best" from the technological point of view and that those over 65 years of age will be vaccinated with an adjuvanted vaccine because this group, due to the problem of exhaustion of the immune system, needs a dose that allows generating a greater protective response.
Meanwhile, those under 65 years of age who have an underlying pathology will be given a "very powerful" vaccine, which is the tetravalent, "which incorporates one more strain than traditional flu vaccines."
Similarly, pregnant women and health workers will be given a tetravalent vaccine made in cell culture "because we understand that it is a very powerful, very solid vaccine that can act as a stimulus for the main agents that manage the majority of citizens to be vaccinated -the health workers- to be reinforced."
He also referred to the fact that one of the vaccines that will be received from the Ministry are antigenic, which have a "very adequate" profile for elderly people living in residences.
All, the objective is that both health workers and the elderly living in residences are already vaccinated before the campaign begins on October 15.
Previous appointment
The doctor pointed out that due to the current situation, it will be necessary to make an appointment to be vaccinated in an organized, safe and with the greatest guarantees, also clarifying that it will be used when a person from a risk group has to go to the health center to be vaccinated.
Finally, regarding the incidence of influenza, García said that the use of masks and hand hygiene are "powerful" preventive instruments, to which if the vaccine is added, it will be possible to be in a position to give a "blow" to influenza this year.
