SEVILLE, Sept. 23 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Balmis Vaccine Institute stresses that the inclusion of the flu vaccine for children between six months and five years of age in the vaccination calendar of Andalusia, which will start on October 3, will reduce hospitalizations and infections also in the adult population. each time he hopes it will be a “first step” in the free vaccination of children against the flu in Spain.
Thus, in a note, he stressed that this is a “very important” health decision for the protection of children from the flu, a disease that mainly affects the infant population, particularly those under the age of five, which many require. hospitalization, and that their immunization provides children with individual protection against influenza infection, while also having a great impact on the adult population, reducing infections and, therefore, complications resulting from this infection, as well as hospitalizations.
The Institute recalls that children “are the main transmitters” of influenza viruses and that their vaccination reduces the incidence of serious infections with this virus in the elderly.
Furthermore, he added that it represents a first step in the free vaccination of children against influenza in Spain, following the recommendation of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) to vaccinate children aged six to 59 months against influenza, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
It also indicates that the inclusion of children in this Andalusian flu vaccination campaign, along with its advancement, will allow for greater containment of the flu epidemic planned for this season and that the rest of the autonomous communities should follow the example of Andalusia and Galicia, the only regions that have approved the inclusion of this vaccine for use in healthy children in their respective vaccination programs.
He also defends that the flu vaccine “is safe and effective” and that its administration is also recommended for pregnant women, the chronically ill, people over the age of 65 and healthcare personnel, and stresses that, according to the WHO estimates, annual influenza epidemics cause approximately one billion infections, three to five million cases of serious illness and between 300,000 and 500,000 deaths worldwide.
Finally, from the Balmis Institute report that the incidence of the virus this season in Europe “will be higher”, as evidenced by the current flu epidemic in Australia, where “the cases of hospitalized children and adolescents have increased significantly”.
–
