The flu vaccination campaign has begun in our country, and the Ministry of Health and the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the AEP (CAV-AEP) have published the recommendations in this regard.
Seasonal flu is an acute viral infection, which in certain patients can be serious or even fatal. Therefore, WHO recommends vaccination in those risk groups, including pregnant women and children from six months of age who have certain conditions. We tell you everything you need to know if you are in any of these groups.
What people should get vaccinated against the flu?
According to the recommendations of the experts, the flu vaccine is aimed, preferably at people over 65, pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy (with special emphasis on pregnant teenagers), and babies from six months, adolescents and adults with underlying diseases or who have the following characteristics:
In Babies and more After overcoming a leukemia you will have to change schools because some classmates are not vaccinatedChronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory diseases (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis and asthma).
Chronic metabolic disease, such as diabetes mellitus or congenital metabolism errors.
Chronic or hepatic kidney disease and nephrotic syndrome.
Moderate or severe malnutrition.
Morbid obesity (body mass index ≥40 in adults, ≥35 in adolescents or ≥3DS in childhood).
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
Rheumatic diseases.
Congenital immunodeficiency (excluding asymptomatic isolated IgA deficit) or acquired (includes administration of systemic corticosteroids at high and maintained doses)
Functional or anatomical asplenia.
Cancer and malignant hemopathies.
Moderate or severe hematologic disease, such as hemoglobinopathy with clinical repercussions, requiring blood products.
Serious neuromuscular diseases
Cochlear implant or waiting for it.
Celiac disease: A novelty included this year.
Immunidepression (including that caused by HIV infection, drugs, and transplant recipients).
Cerebrospinal fluid fistula: A novelty included this year.
Prematurity, preferably <35 weeks or comorbidity.
Disorders and diseases that lead to cognitive dysfunction: Down syndrome, dementias and others.
Children between six months and 18 years who receive prolonged treatment with acetylsalicylic acid, because of the possibility of developing a Reye syndrome after the flu.
Children from six months to five years institutionalized or supervised by the administration.
Treatment with eculizumab: A novelty included this year.
In addition, the vaccine is also recommended for all health personnel, essential public service workers, and caregivers and family members living with people at risk or with infants below six months of age at risk.
The flu vaccine would be contraindicated in two cases: infants below six months, and children or adults who have had a severe allergic reaction to a previous flu vaccine.The CAV-AEP considers that Influenza vaccination for children over six months not included in the risk group, if your parents request it and your pediatrician considers it convenient, It is a recommended measure, given the high rate of complications associated with influenza in this age group and the overall impact of the infection in the child population.
How is the vaccine given in children?
The Vaccine Advisory Committee of the AEP published last month a Data sheet of influenza vaccines available for pediatric use, with its composition and form of administration.
Depending on the type of vaccine, it should be administered after six months or five years, and always with intramuscular injection since the intranasal vaccines recommended for children between two and 18 years old, will not be available in Spain this season either. How new for this campaign It is the recommendation that children between six months to three years receive the full dose of the vaccine (0.5 ml).
To ensure optimal protection against the virus, children under nine who are vaccinated for the first time should receive two separate doses for at least four weeks. The first dose should be received as soon as the vaccine is available.It is also worth mentioning that the flu vaccine can be administered together with the other vaccines on the calendar.
Via CAV-AEP If I have an egg allergy, can I get vaccinated?
Currently, flu vaccines for children under 18 years most widely used in Spain are trivalent inactivated, from crops in embryonated chicken eggs, although the amounts of egg they contain are minimal.
This may raise doubts in the case of people who have an egg allergy, one of the most common food allergies in infants and young children. But, as we can read in the recommendations approved by the Ministry of Health:
"There is sufficient scientific evidence to recommend vaccination to people with egg allergy, without the need to take any special precautionary measures"However, in cases of severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis, vaccination will be carried out by experienced personnel and supervision for 30 minutes after administration.
When is the best time to get a flu shot?
From the epidemiological point of view, in the northern hemisphere of the planet the flu begins every year in week 40 and ends in week 20 of the following year. That is, the flu season would cover from the beginning of October 2018 until the middle of May 2019.
The ideal is receive the vaccine between the months of October to December, and in the best case do it from the beginning of the flu season. But the CAV explains that while the virus is circulating, vaccination can be carried out at any time.
The flu vaccine in pregnancy
As we have seen at the beginning, the flu vaccine is recommended during pregnancy at any stage of pregnancy. This recommendation is given by all international organizations (WHO, CDC) and national organizations (Ministry of Health and scientific societies).
With the vaccine to the pregnant woman a triple protection is obtained:
- On the one hand, the mother is protected from respiratory complications, especially from the second quarter. And it has been shown that the risk of complications associated with influenza is higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women.
In Babies and more Pregnancy increases the risk of hospitalization for influenza eight times, and vaccination may prevent itOn the other hand, the vaccine protects the fetus since the flu in pregnant women increases the risk of prematurity, low birth weight and perinatal death.
And thirdly, receive the vaccine during pregnancy will protect the newborn in its first weeks of life, thanks to antibodies of maternal origin that pass to the placenta.
But despite the obvious benefits this vaccine provides, The CAV-AEP laments the low vaccination coverage in this sector of the population, due in large part to fear, ignorance and misinformation by health professionals themselves.
Symptoms and prevention
Children under two years of age are, together with the elderly, the population sector with higher rates of flu hospitalization, and is that as reported by the CAV-AEP "Occasionally, this disease can occur with extreme severity, as well as complicate with serious bacterial superinfections"
The symptoms usually last between one and two weeks, being the most common fever, malaise, muscle pain, chills, cough and mucus. The treatment is intended to relieve symptoms, because being a virus there is no drug to cure it, nor antibiotics.
In Babies and more, the flu epidemic is here: how can we prevent it?The flu is spread very easily from person to person, through respiratory secretions and hands contaminated with these secretions. It is very difficult to prevent infection, but we can help with a series of measures that minimize risks:
Have children wash their hands before eating or putting them in their mouths.
Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes (and if they are going to do so, let it be with clean hands).
Avoid direct contact with sick people, and not take them to school if they are the ones who are sick.
Teach them to cover their mouths to cough or sneeze, and teach them to clean their snot and throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect toys and objects that touch and suck the children (especially if they are going to touch and suck others).
Ventilate the house every morning, spend time outdoors and avoid closed places with many people.
To have healthy habits that help strengthen your immune system, such as maintaining a balanced diet and resting well at night.
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