2023-10-04 10:36:27
With autumn, the vaccination campaign begins in the different autonomous communities against flu and covid, among other respiratory diseases. The Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) has prepared a guide that answers the most frequent doubts that the population may have.
This vaccination guide, prepared by the SEE Vaccination Working Group, includes the two main new features:
For the first time the anti-flu vaccine it is recommended to all children from 6 to 59 monthsalmost five years, and at Smokers.
Las covid vaccines that are administered are those made from the subvariante XBB of the omicron strain, are adapted vaccines.
The SEE reminds that both the flu and the covid vaccines can be administered at the same time as long as it is done in different parts of the body, one in each arm, for example, and with different syringes and needles.
Experts assure that receiving them together does not increase the side effects and, thus, the immunization of people who are candidates to receive the two vaccines is facilitated.
Who has to be immunized against covid again?
Given that the vast majority of the population has already received some dose of the vaccine and/or has developed the disease, it is not necessary for them to be vaccinated again unless they belong to the following risk groups since it continues to cause serious cases that require hospitalization and risk of death in certain people.
Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus also circulates more in the cold months, due to being in closed spaces, the SEE recommends vaccination, in many cases coinciding with the flu risk groups, to:
1. People who have 60 years or older.
2. People 5 years or older in residences for the elderly, disability centers, people institutionalized for a long time and residents in closed institutions.
3. People under 60 years of age with risk conditions (diabetes mellitus; morbid obesity; chronic cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, renal, hepatic, inflammatory, blood or neuromuscular diseases; immunosuppression; cancer; cerebrospinal fluid fistula; cochlear implant; celiac disease; and cognitive dysfunction).
4. pregnant and women during the 6 months following delivery.
5. Cohabitants (including caregivers) with immunosuppressed people, as they can transmit the infection to those who are at high risk.
6. Working staff in health centers, social health centers and essential public services.
A man is vaccinated against flu and covid-19 in Madrid. EFE/David Fernández
Which covid vaccine is updated?
Last May, the World Health Organization (WHO) made a statement recommending that vaccines administered in the fall of 2023 be made from the XBB subvariant of the omicron strain.
He therefore advised against using vaccines made from the strain of the virus that caused the pandemic. given that:
The strain no longer circulates. There is laboratory evidence that the protective capacity of these vaccines against circulating variants is very low. The inclusion of the original strain would be detrimental to the antigenic components most suitable for the circulating variants. Repeated exposure to the virus that initially circulated could reduce the response capacity of the new antigenic components that the vaccine must contain.
According to the SEE vaccination guide, the SARS-CoV-2 virus does not stop evolving and other variants with greater transmission capacity are taking over the previous ones.
Do I have to get vaccinated against the flu?
It is recommended, remember the SEEis that those people in whom the virus can cause serious illness should be vaccinated against the flu:
1. People who have 60 years or older.
2. People 5 years or older in residences for the elderly, disability centers, people institutionalized for a long time and residents in closed institutions.
3. People under 60 years of age with risk conditions (diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity; chronic cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, renal, hepatic, inflammatory, blood or neuromuscular diseases; immunosuppression; cancer; cerebrospinal fluid fistula; cochlear implant; celiac disease; cognitive dysfunction).
4. pregnant and women during the 6 months following delivery.
5. People who coexist with immunosuppressed people.
6. Working staff in health centers, social health centers and essential public services (security forces, armed forces, firefighters and civil protection). Vaccination is recommended for these people with the aim of guaranteeing essential services in the community.
And also…
7. For the first time, to the entire child population from 6 to 59 months (until the age of 5), because the child population in this age group is at greater risk of developing severe forms and requiring hospitalization.
8. Also for the first time to smokers.
9. And, as on other occasions, students in internship in health and social health centers.
10. People with occupational exposure to animals or to their secretions on farms, poultry, pig, mink or wildlife operations. The objective is to reduce the occurrence of infection by both a human virus and an animal virus, which would favor the possibility of the emergence of a new influenza virus adapted to the human species.
EFE/Miguel Villagran
How many doses of flu vaccine should you get?
It is a single dose, except in the child population from 6 months to 8 years who present risk conditions.
In this case, if they have not received the vaccine in other years, they must receive two doses separated by an interval of at least 4 weeks. If they have previously received a flu vaccine, the regimen is a single dose, the vaccination guide points out.
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