It is now a kind of race against time. We’ve almost reached the finish line vaccination against influenza viruses, who are already going crazy. In fact, it takes a few days for the body to react to the vaccination stimulus, producing a quantity of antibodies capable of reducing the risk of contracting the infection or in any case of facing serious complications related to the flu virus. But that’s not enough. Among the rules to remember, in this end-of-year period, there is also the importance of using the mask in closed places for the elderly and frail and isolating symptomatic subjects. This appeal for a final rush to protect yourself from the seasonal virus is launched by the experts of the Italian Hygiene Society (SItI).
Because we need to get vaccinated quickly
Those that are coming will be the last useful days for vaccination against the flu which, this year, is hitting much harder than in the past. The Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI), in this regard, renews the invitation to vaccination, which has already involved thousands of children throughout Italy, occupying beyond all limits the pediatric wards of hospitals throughout Italy . Two are recommendations which come from the experts of the Italian Society of Hygiene.
“The first – points out Antonio Ferro, President of the Italian Hygiene Society (SItI) – is to use the mask indoors to protect the elderly and fragile population. The second recommendation, on the other hand, is the isolation of symptomatic subjects within the family nucleus”. Surely, this impacting epidemic, already present in the pediatric population, with the approach of people during these holidays, could cause a huge epidemic peak, particularly in the elderly and frail population. Precisely for this reason, the Italian Hygiene Society has expressed itself so that the population can take advantage of these days of vaccination campaign to protect themselves from the flu and, possibly, for all those who have not yet done so, against Covid-19, by undergoing the fourth dose.
The flu explodes, but not only
The growth in the number of these syndromes is due not only to flu viruses to other respiratory viruses as well. The age group most affected is the pediatric one, but influenza and influenza-like viruses pose a danger above all for the elderly population, aged 65 and over.
“The outbreak of the flu was an expected phenomenon, which we at HappyAgeing – Italian Alliance for Active Aging had announced – says Michele Conversano, President of HappyAgeing’s Technical-Scientific Committee. After two years of low circulation of influenza and all flu-like viruses, this year there is a hyper-influx of these viruses which finds large sections of the population ill-prepared to deal with it. In fact, during the pandemic, many people did not contract these viruses or get vaccinated against the flu: theirs immune system it has therefore not been stimulated in this sense and now the viruses in circulation are finding fertile ground ‘.
As was easily imaginable, therefore, the flu is hitting very hard and the first data on its diffusion are proof of this. The flu vaccine protects the elderly from serious forms, in some cases even fatal, of the disease. But it must be remembered that all the vaccinations provided for by the Plan for the over 65s are important. For this reason, at the beginning of autumn, HappyAgeing launched a communication campaign dedicated to all the vaccinations recommended in old age, against flu, pneumonia, herpes zoster, Covid-19, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis.