Don't risk your family's health—make sure you all get a flu shot every year!
This article provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about flu vaccination. We hope that this information will be useful to you .
To make an appointment for vaccination, call 2000-451 and 8 (951) 851-06-71.
Please note that during the epidemic, due to high demand, you may be asked to sign up for the waiting list, and as soon as the vaccine arrives, the administrator will contact you and sign you up for vaccination.
Flu is not a cold.
Influenza is an infectious disease that affects the lungs and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia. The common cold does not lead to such complications or death.
The highest risks of severe illness and death are among pregnant women, the elderly, young people with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart and lung disease, and young children.
And a healthy person can miss work, study and recreation due to illness, as well as end up in the hospital.
Even in countries with a high level of medical care (USA), more than 226,000 people are hospitalized per year with complications of influenza, including 20,000 children; approximately 36,000 people die per year in the United States from influenza and its complications.
Excess deaths during influenza season
In 1847, William Farr, a British physician and statistician, used the term "excess mortality" to describe the increase in mortality that he showed occurred during the influenza season, which was due to causes other than influenza itself. .
This excess mortality greatly exceeded the mortality rate from influenza.
Indicators of additional mortality during the influenza season from pneumonia and influenza during epidemics per 100 thousand people
If a person has a combined pathology of the respiratory system and cardiovascular system - 870
Diabetes + cardiovascular diseases - 481
Lung diseases – 240
Cardiovascular pathology – 104
Healthy adults – 2.
Even people who do not have concomitant chronic diseases have a risk of dying from the flu and its complications.
People who get the flu have an increased risk of developing a first myocardial infarction
The risk increases by 4.95 times in the first 1-3 days of the disease. Even 29-90 days after influenza, the risk is increased by 1.4 times.
People with the flu have an increased risk of stroke
The risk increases by 3.19 times in the first 1-3 days of the disease. Even 29-91 days after influenza, the risk is increased by 1.33 times.
The flu can make you, your children, and your parents really sick.
Flu usually comes on suddenly. Symptoms may include fever, chills, headaches, feeling tired, sore throat, cough and body aches. Some people say, “I feel like I was run over by a truck!”
Symptoms may also not be as pronounced. Regardless, when the flu hits your family, the result is a loss of time regarding work, school, and leisure plans.
Is it true that influenza is a serious problem in children?
Yes. Infants and young children are at high risk of developing severe forms of influenza, as well as complications such as otitis media, croup, and pneumonia.
That's why health experts recommend that all children 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every fall and winter.
Children at highest risk of severe influenza (developed country recommendations):
Children under 6 months of age
- The flu vaccine is not used in children younger than 6 months, but the risk of complications from influenza in this group is higher than at any other age.
- The best way to protect children under 6 months of age is to encourage their families and caregivers to get vaccinated.
Children from 6 months to 5 years
- Even healthy children in this age group are at risk of severe influenza simply because of their age.
- Children from 2 to 5 years old should immediately consult a doctor about influenza if they have the flu.
- To protect their health, all children 6 months and older should be vaccinated against influenza every year. Vaccinating children, their families and others can also help protect them from the disease.
Children 6 months and older with the following concomitant conditions:
- Asthma or other mild pathology;
- Weakening of the immune system;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Heart diseases;
- HIV AIDS
- Diabetes;
- Long-term use of aspirin;
- Any pathology that can reduce lung function (congenital pathology, spinal cord injury, seizures or other neurological disorders)
Why are they offering to get vaccinated now, when the flu has not yet arrived?
The influenza virus is seasonal.
Its activity usually begins in late November - early December, and the peak incidence occurs in January-February. In order to develop protective immunity, vaccination must be done in advance - it takes 2-3 weeks for immunity to form. Now is the best time for vaccination. I would also like to note that influenza, unlike other respiratory viral infections, along with the new coronavirus, still causes many complications. Vaccination is exactly the way to prevent the development of such serious complications as, for example, pneumonia.
How to protect yourself from the flu if you have no opportunity or desire to get vaccinated?
Flu is an airborne infection, so the main prevention is to prevent the spread of the virus from a sick person to a healthy person. Therefore, all the protective measures that we recommend against COVID-19 will help against the flu: wear a mask, avoid participating in public events, especially indoors, try not to touch contaminated surfaces, protect your hands with gloves and, of course, wash your hands more often.
In addition, it is important to strengthen natural immunity. This is ensured by walks in the fresh air, proper nutrition, taking vitamins, and physical activity.
Who needs flu shots first?
We have a national vaccination calendar, which provides for priority vaccination of risk groups for influenza infection. Firstly, these are the most susceptible people - children of preschool and school age, as well as people who, due to their professional background, encounter infected people - doctors, teachers, transport workers, sellers and cashiers. This also includes people living in residential institutions.
The second risk group is determined by people with chronic somatic diseases, as well as pregnant women. Of course, infection with any respiratory infection can lead to exacerbation of chronic diseases, and in the case of influenza and COVID-19, chronic patients are more likely to develop severe complications, in some cases leading to death. Flu also causes an increase in mortality, which for some reason we often forget about.
Vaccination reduces the risk of influenza infection, and if infected, the disease is more mild.
Flu vaccination: myths and reality
Infectious diseases have been the main enemy of man in all historical times. During certain periods of a pandemic of infectious diseases, incl. and influenza, claimed more lives than military operations: in the 1918-20s, 40 million people died from the influenza pandemic (the so-called Spanish flu), and the number of people sickened was 500 million. This is more than the losses on the battlefields of the First World War, where 8 million 400 thousand people died and 17 million people were wounded. Many people don't think of the flu as a serious or fatal illness, but its consequences can be tragic. Complications that accompany the flu are especially dangerous. Among them, the most severe is pneumonia, which often ends in death. Now, in the upcoming epidemic season of influenza and ARVI 2015-2016, the debate continues: should I get vaccinated against influenza or not?
Myth 1 . The vaccine will give you the flu. In fact, this is impossible under any circumstances, because... The influenza vaccine does not contain a live virus, but its fragments, to which the human body produces antibodies. Yes, you can get sick, but only ARVI.
Myth 2 . The vaccine protects against some types of influenza, but you will become infected with another type. For this purpose, there is the World Health Organization, whose specialists carry out year-round epidemiological surveillance of influenza viruses and issue a forecast of which strains may cause influenza in people next season. In accordance with this forecast, a vaccine is being produced ahead of the season, including in the Russian Federation. The previous vaccine is destroyed.
Myth 3. After vaccination there will definitely be a dangerous complication. If a person is vaccinated after being examined and cleared by a doctor, this will not happen. World statistics record the official figure for the number of complications from vaccinations - 1 complication per 1 million vaccinations. Fever, malaise, weakness, muscle pain - this is just a reaction to the vaccine that lasts within 24 hours, leaving no consequences.
Myth 4. The vaccine is contraindicated for people with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, elderly people, etc. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite. A vaccine is a dosed calculated amount of antigen that will adequately produce the required amount of antibodies that can protect the body when a live influenza virus enters it. Therefore, vaccination is indicated primarily for such categories of citizens from risk groups. It will be much more difficult for an organism weakened by a severe somatic illness to cope without consequences with the introduction of a huge amount of live, highly pathogenic influenza virus.
Myth 5. Vaccination can be done before November, later – absolutely not. The development of full immunity after vaccination occurs within 2, maximum 4 weeks. The period of vaccination against influenza is defined as September-October, in order to have time to vaccinate at least 30% of the population, and in the Novgorod region this is 186 thousand people, before the onset of the autumn rise in the incidence of ARVI. Therefore, if you did not have time to get vaccinated in the mass vaccination campaign for one reason or another (temporary medical exemption, etc.), then you can get vaccinated in November-December in a paid vaccination office. Get vaccinated and be healthy!
Information provided by the Office of Rospotrebnadzor for the Novgorod Region
Many people are afraid to get vaccinated because of side effects. To what extent are such fears justified?
Modern flu vaccines are completely safe and slightly reactogenic (that is, do not cause side effects). In addition, most vaccines are inactivated, meaning they do not contain live virus. Therefore, vaccination cannot cause respiratory disease.
But an allergic reaction is still possible. Therefore, it is advisable for allergy sufferers and people with other autoimmune diseases to consult a doctor before vaccination.
A flu shot is also needed so that if you suddenly “catch” the coronavirus, the two infections do not overlap one another.
How else can I protect myself and my child?
- Get vaccinated against the flu yourself every year.
- Encourage people who are in close contact with you and your child to get vaccinated too. This is extremely important if your baby is under 5 months old or if he is older but has a chronic condition such as asthma or diabetes. Children under 6 months of age are not vaccinated against influenza (they do not develop protective immunity in response to influenza vaccines); their protection against influenza consists of vaccinating those around them.
- Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. It is best to use a napkin for this and quickly throw it away. If you don't have a tissue, you should cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your palm. This will prevent the spread of germs from contaminated hands.
- Tell your children what they need:
- stay away from people who are sick,
- wash your hands often,
- keep your hands away from your face, and
- Cover your coughs and sneezes to protect others.
You can sign up for vaccination by phone.
or through the ONLINE form on the website Source: Privivka.ru website
Can a flu vaccination boost immunity against coronavirus?
Such a hypothesis exists, but needs to be tested. This epidemic season will give us the answer to this question. The only thing that can be said is that when vaccination is carried out (this has been noticed before), within one month after vaccination the number of other respiratory diseases decreases.
When vaccinated, the body reacts not only by developing specific immunity to the influenza virus, but also increases other immunity factors, so “double” protection, although not one hundred percent, is possible.
Is it possible to be vaccinated with an imported vaccine?
“It is impossible to vaccinate against flu with a foreign vaccine in any clinic!” — there are quite a lot of such indignant messages on social networks. Just a few years ago, people had a choice - to get vaccinated for free with a Russian drug or go to a commercial clinic, pay and get vaccinated with an imported vaccine. But now the situation has changed: foreign pharmaceutical companies do not participate in government procurement (there are many Russian manufacturers of influenza vaccines, and according to the “third wheel” rule, foreigners are simply not allowed to bid).
Foreign companies are not prohibited from providing vaccines to private clinics, but it is not so simple: the flu vaccine is a perishable product, if not in great demand (and the majority of the population is still vaccinated with domestic drugs), surpluses have to be destroyed, and suppliers incur losses. But all this is of little interest to those who want to get vaccinated. And although infectious disease specialists and immunologists assure that the effectiveness and safety of our flu vaccines has been proven by time and is not inferior to drugs from abroad, those who are accustomed to being vaccinated with the same vaccine year after year do not want to change it.
So will a “foreign” vaccine still be available? We addressed this question to the French company Sanofi - this year only in September, when the questions began, they confirmed that there would be deliveries, but later. This is the answer “RG - Nedelya” received.
“Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine business unit of Sanofi, is a socially responsible partner of the Russian government, and we have been supplying our vaccines to Russia for over 25 years,” says Yuri Mochalin, Sanofi’s director of corporate affairs for the Eurasian region. — The company sees its strategic role in the production of vaccines to meet demand in the Russian market. Every year, in anticipation of the high flu season, Sanofi Pasteur supplies Russia with its flu vaccine, and in 2021 we continue to do so. The flu vaccine has arrived in the country, has undergone the procedure for introduction into civilian circulation and is available for shipment from the warehouse of Sanofi Russia JSC.
The vaccine will be supplied as usual through our traditional distribution network. To clarify details, you must contact distributors, medical centers, and pharmacies.”
Is it legal if an employer forces you to get vaccinated?
The right of every person to refuse vaccination, regardless of his position and area of work, is enshrined in the law “On the Prevention of Infectious Diseases.” According to this regulatory act, vaccination is recognized as an intervention in human health. And any intervention can only be carried out with the consent of the citizen, and not even in words, but in the form of a document signed by the person.
But the same law also considers the other side of the issue. In particular, it suggests that the lack of certain vaccinations may be sufficient grounds for refusal of permission to enter certain countries where the risk of encountering a dangerous infection is high. Also, on completely legal grounds, a person may not be hired if his work activity is associated with the threat of infection.
If we are talking about an employee who refuses to be vaccinated, the employer has the right to take measures. For example, it may prevent an employee from entering the workplace or temporarily suspend him from performing professional duties until the threat of infection disappears.
“The vaccination calendar clearly states which categories of workers, what types of vaccinations and with what frequency should receive,” says lawyer Yulia Kholodionova. — At the same time, they take into account the specifics of the work, the territory where the professional activity is carried out, if it creates a risk of contracting a certain disease. Thus, vaccination against influenza and measles is recognized as general. It is mandatory for health workers, teachers, public utilities and transport workers to undergo it.”
If an employee works in an area where vaccinations are approved by the national calendar, but refuses to do them, this cannot serve as a basis for bringing him to disciplinary action. Deprivation of a bonus, reprimand, demotion, and especially dismissal - all these are illegal methods of “force” influence, to which the employer has no right.
pixabay.com/
