Autumn marks the return of the flu, and therefore of the vaccines against this virus. The vaccination campaign for this season opens this Tuesday, October 18, and should last until January 31, 2023. Who cares? Where to get vaccinated? Here’s what you need to know to get vaccinated against the flu virus.
• The risks of the flu
According to Health Insurance, each year, 2 to 6 million people are affected by the flu. “It is a highly contagious disease that can be serious, particularly in frail people,” the organization says on its site. High fever, severe fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and a dry cough are symptoms of the flu.
Therefore, it can lead to complications, such as pneumonia or the aggravation of an existing chronic disease (diabetes, heart or respiratory failure, etc.)
The virus is transmitted by the projection of droplets emitted by coughing or sneezing of infected people or through hands and objects contaminated by these droplets.
“After a winter of 2020-2021 without a flu epidemic due in particular to the control measures of the Covid-19 epidemic (barrier gestures, confinement)”, the epidemic was “exceptionally long” during the winter of 2021-2022 , according to Health. Sure.
• Interested people
Vaccines are reserved for frail people until November 15. The list of interested parties is as follows:
- People 65 years and older
- Children and adults under 65 years of age with certain chronic conditions
- Pregnant women
- people with obesity
- Circle of children under 6 months of risk (who cannot be vaccinated) and immunocompromised people;
- Health professionals and professionals from medical-social establishments in contact with patients at risk;
- Home help for vulnerable individual employers;
- Professionals exposed to swine and avian influenza viruses, targeted for the first time as part of the 2022-2023 campaign
The vaccine is fully reimbursed by the Health Insurance for people at risk and costs between 6 and 10 euros for the rest.
• Where to get vaccinated
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and midwives are authorized to administer the vaccine. People at risk receive a vaccination voucher from their health fund that they must present at the pharmacy to receive their dose, before being vaccinated by the health professional of their choice.
For organizational and logistical reasons, the High Health Authority also recommends combining the injection of the flu vaccine and the reminder of the vaccine against Covid-19, for affected people (over 60 years of age, residents of nursing homes, people at risk of a severe form of the disease, etc.)
In this setting, you need to take your flu shot to the planned Covid vaccination site and get one shot in each arm.
Fifteen days are needed to benefit from the protection provided by the vaccine, according to the government.
Source: BFM TV
