A flu vaccination campaign starts this Monday (10) throughout Brazil. The goal of the Ministry of Health this year is to immunize 81.7 million people who are part of the priority groups and are able to receive the vaccine in the SUS.
Vaccination was brought forward in the North region, where it began in March, due to the rainy season and the increase in influenza cases from April onwards.
With the approach of winter in the South, Southeast and Midwest, an increase in the number of infections by the flu virus is also expected, hence the importance of vaccination at this time.
Individuals who fit into the following groups can be vaccinated at health posts:
• people over 60 years of age;
• children from 6 months to under 6 years of age (5 years, 11 months and 29 days);
• pregnant and postpartum women;
• disabled people;
• people with comorbidities;
• indigenous, riverine and quilombola peoples;
• health workers;
• members of the Armed Forces;
• professionals from the security and rescue forces;
• truck drivers;
• teachers;
• public transport professionals;
• port professionals;
• professionals from the deprivation of liberty system;
• population deprived of liberty;
• Adolescents and young people aged 12 to 21 in socio-educational measures.
Regarding babies and children, the ministry says that those who have already received at least one dose in previous years should only have one injection this year.
For indigenous children or children with comorbidities, vaccination up to 9 years of age is possible.
Children who will be vaccinated for the first time should take the two-dose scheme, with an interval of 30 days between them.
In the technical report on vaccination, the folder points out that priority groups are “important social actors in the process of preventing and controlling influenza”.
The government’s target is to vaccinate 90% of each of these groups, but this has been difficult to achieve in recent years. In 2022, the average coverage for all of them was 68.1%.
The surplus of vaccines in many places makes municipalities offer them to those who are not part of the priority groups, which normally occurs in the middle of the year.
Until then, those who are not part of the target audience and want to get vaccinated must do so on the private network.
For pediatric infectologist Renato Kfouri, vice president of SBIm (Brazilian Society of Immunizations), the perception of risk about the flu is what influences adherence to the vaccine annually.
“In general, as most seasons are not so severe, most of the time achieving vaccination coverage is not so easy. […] The big challenge is to achieve communication and convince the population to get vaccinated, even with this low risk perception. For all vaccines it is like this. With the flu it is no different, “he explains.
However, the doctor recalls that there have been years, like 2016, in which the large number of hospitalizations due to the flu led to a rush to health centers by people in search of the vaccine.
“Then you have an exaggerated search for vaccines, the campaign is carried out in four, six weeks. Private clinics sell a lot of vaccines, queues at the doors…”
the vaccine
Annually, the flu vaccine is updated, as recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) to include the influenza virus strains that should predominate in the season.
This year, the trivalent vaccine produced by the Butantan Institute offers protection against two strains of influenza A – A/Sydney/5/2021 (H1N1) pdm09 and A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2 – and another influenza B – B/Austria /1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage).
“The influenza vaccine can be administered at the same time as other vaccines on the National Vaccination Calendar and also with other medications, proceeding with administrations with different syringes and needles in different anatomical sites”, stresses the Ministry of Health.
Anyone who needs to also take the vaccine against Covid-19 or another can do so on the same day.
Individuals with a severe egg allergy should receive the vaccine under medical supervision. Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 or a fever should wait for the condition to improve to get vaccinated.
Risk
Influenza continues to be a disease of concern worldwide, especially when it affects more vulnerable people, such as the elderly, children and individuals whose immune systems are compromised by illness or health treatments.
In 2022, the Ministry of Health accounted for more than 10,500 hospitalizations due to severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the influenza virus. In the same period, 1,348 deaths from respiratory complications were associated with the flu.
The elderly are the most vulnerable, according to government data, accounting for nearly half of all flu records last year. Even so, vaccination coverage for this group was around 70% in 2022.
“Traditionally, almost in the average of all the last years, from 70% to 75% of the deaths by influenza that we have in the country occur in these groups eligible for vaccination”, alerts Kfouri.
Gripe
Flu conditions begin suddenly and manifest with symptoms such as fever, chills, body and headache, cough, runny nose, sore throat and general malaise.
According to the MSD Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment, “Most symptoms improve after two to three days. However, sometimes the fever can last for up to five days. Symptoms of cough, weakness, sweating, and tiredness last for several days. days or occasionally weeks”.
“In some circumstances, especially in the highest risk groups, the disease can evolve into respiratory complications — such as viral or bacterial pneumonia —, lead to decompensation of the underlying disease, in the case of people with chronic conditions, and even death In addition to individual and collective health, studies carried out in the United States show that the flu causes economic losses of billions of dollars annually, not only due to hospitalization costs, but also due to loss of life and reduced productivity due to absence from work. “, says in a note to SBIM (Brazilian Society of Immunizations).
Vaccination is the best way to prevent it from getting worse. Still, some people with more fragile health may need to take antivirals. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is available through the SUS by medical prescription.
It is important to be aware of signs of flu complications, such as shortness of breath and persistent fever, which may indicate pneumonia, which requires immediate medical attention.
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