“Influenza vaccination appears to be able to reduce the risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection by 14%: this is suggested by the meta-analysis of observational studies involving Italy, Spain, Israel and the United States published in Vaccines. In the event that this happens. the contagion, in other words, there will be a less serious Covid “. This was stated by the president of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Sigg) Francesco Landi, on the occasion of the national congress held in Rome.
Landi explained that this result “is probably due to the so-called trained immunity, the phenomenon whereby after a vaccination of any kind there is an increase and acceleration of the immune response in case of contact with another pathogen.
In short, the anti-flu ‘trains’ the immune system and in case of contact with the coronavirus it can reduce the chances of positivity from Covid thanks to the greater antiviral action “.
For geriatricians, the outcome of the meta-analysis reinforces the recommendation of the circular of the Ministry of Health to adhere with confidence to the administration of the two vaccines offered free of charge by the NHS.
“Influenza vaccination last year saw an 11% increase in vaccinated people and we hope the same will happen this year, to reach the goal of 75% coverage in over 65s and reduce the impact of the flu,” he says. Stefania Maggi, of the Neuroscience Institute of the CNR Section of Padua – every year the flu affects 40 to 50% of people at risk, including the elderly, and on average is responsible for 8,000 deaths. The virus increases 10 times. the risk of heart attack, 8 times that of pneumonia. Over 60% of hospitalizations for influenza are concentrated among the over 65, with costs that are double compared to other age groups. Co-administration of the influenza vaccine with the third dose of anti-Covid is possible and is an excellent shield also and above all for the frail elderly “.
Two other vaccines are also essential in over 65, the anti-pneumococcal and the anti-Herpes Zoster: pneumococcus is in fact the most common cause of pneumonia among the elderly and is lethal in 20-40% of cases, Herpes Zoster or Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella virus, which is frequent especially from the age of 50 onwards and is responsible in one case out of 5 of a very painful post-herpetic neuralgia. (HANDLE).
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