Influenza and Covid-19, two epidemics
As we know, the modes of transmission and symptoms of influenza and Sars-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, are very similar and can make it difficult to diagnose and monitor the two epidemics at the same time. The flu is a contagious disease. Like Covid-19, it is transmitted through the air (projection of secretions by the sputters when speaking, by coughing or sneezing), by close contact with a person who has the flu, or by contact with the hands or contaminated objects (door handles, cutlery, bars in buses and metros, etc.) After contamination by the influenza virus, the disease breaks out within 48 hours on average. Infected people remain contagious for up to five days following the onset of the first signs (up to seven days in children).
Usually, it appears suddenly in the form of high fever, body aches, headaches, intense fatigue, general malaise and respiratory symptoms: dry cough, runny nose. The illness lasts regarding a week, but fatigue is frequently felt for the next three or four weeks. A dry cough may persist for two weeks. The flu is often considered a disease of little danger, which is most often the case when it occurs in young people in perfect health.
However, the flu can be serious, even fatal, especially in fragile people, such as the elderly or people with certain chronic diseases. Complications can then appear, such as a serious lung infection (pneumonia) or the aggravation of the chronic disease from which one is suffering. The treatment of the flu combines rest, rehydration, taking medication once morest fever (antipyretics) and pain. The use of a specific antiviral drug once morest influenza may be proposed by the attending physician in certain situations. In this case, treatment is effective if started within two days of the onset of symptoms.
Influenza epidemic 2021-2022
“The active circulation of influenza viruses began in mid-December 2021 in mainland France, slowly spread to all regions and ended in mid-May 2022”, indicates the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) n ° 21, 18 October 2022. At the national level, the epidemic lasted nine weeks, from week 09-2022 (from February 28 to March 6) to week 17-2022 (from April 25 to May 1), with a duration of very heterogeneous epidemic depending on the region, varying from seven weeks (Grand Est and Hauts-de-France regions) to 20 weeks in Occitanie. “During the epidemic, [la surveillance] reported 56,742 emergency room visits for influenza, i.e. 18/1,000 emergency room visits, a value comparable to the average of 19/1,000 emergency room visits during the epidemics from 2015-2016 to 2018-2019”, specifies the BEH. A significant proportion of visits to the emergency room for influenza during the epidemic concerned children under 15: 35% concerned those under 5 and 9% people aged 65 and over. Among visits to the emergency room for influenza, 12% (6,712 visits) resulted in hospitalization, a value comparable to the average of 13% observed during the epidemics of 2015-2016 to 2018-2019. “Fifty-four deaths were reported in total, 80% of which had at least one risk factor. Among these deaths, three (5%) occurred in children under two years of age, none of whom presented any risk factor, 22 (40%) in people aged 15 to 64, of whom 67% presented at least one risk factor. risk, and 29 (55%) in people aged 65 or over, specifies the BEH. A large majority of hospitalizations involved unvaccinated people. Vaccination therefore remains the preferred individual prevention solution for people at risk. In addition, Public Health France provides infos on the current situation.
Who to vaccinate and why?
Vaccination once morest seasonal influenza viruses concerns people vulnerable to infection and at risk of complications. It reduces the risk of being contaminated by the flu and reduces the risk of developing serious forms of the flu. The flu virus strains in circulation are not the same from year to year and the duration of protection of the vaccine may fade following a few months. That’s why you have to get vaccinated every year. Vaccination once morest the flu every year is recommended for everyone aged 65 and over. It is also recommended for pregnant women, whatever the stage of pregnancy and for anyone over the age of six months if they have one of the following diseases: immune disorders, blood diseases, cancers and other diseases of the blood, organ and marrow transplantation (graft), immune deficiencies, inflammatory and/or autoimmune diseases treated with immunosuppressants, HIV infection, sickle cell disease, respiratory diseases (chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, silicosis, bronchial dilation , cystic fibrosis, malformations of the rib cage, etc.). The vaccination schedule for adults is as follows: one annual dose. The vaccine is 100% covered by Health Insurance for “people at risk”, that is to say for people for whom it is recommended. It is important to remember that in no case can the vaccine cause the flu, because it contains only an inactivated fraction of the virus. This vaccination is recommended in the expert report on HIV.
The vaccine in practice
If you are concerned, your health insurance fund sends you an invitation with a voucher. This voucher will allow you to benefit from the flu vaccine free of charge. It includes a part for the pharmacist and a part for the healthcare professional who performs the injection. Since 2018, in order to facilitate access to vaccination for people for whom vaccination is recommended, the vaccination course has been simplified: you are over 18 years old, vaccination is recommended to you (you meet the criteria: people aged 65 years and over, people suffering from a chronic illness, etc.) and you have received a health insurance voucher. Whether you have been vaccinated in previous years or not, you can collect your vaccine at the pharmacy on simple presentation of the voucher and get vaccinated by the health professional of your choice: doctor, midwife, nurse -era (without prior medical prescription), and now, by pharmacists approved by regional health agencies (without prior medical prescription). Pharmacists cannot vaccinate minors and those who are not targeted as priorities by the vaccination recommendations.
Influenza and Covid-19: vaccines on the same day
The High Authority for Health (HAS) published (June 17) a communiqué which specifies the conditions for co-administration of vaccines once morest influenza and Covid-19, since this vaccination campaign is continuing and a new dose must be administered to priority people. In its press release, the HAS recalls that it is important to “couple vaccinations once morest influenza and Covid-19 once more”. At the end of May 2022, HAS recommended anticipating a campaign of anti-Covid-19 vaccination reminders for the populations most at risk of a severe form of the disease and considering the vaccination of professionals. health. “However, this target population is for the most part the same as that for which vaccination once morest seasonal influenza is recommended. Thus, for mobilization and logistical reasons, HAS recommends combining these two campaigns. It recommends that in the absence of an epidemic wave linked to Covid-19 by next fall, the start date of the vaccination campaign once morest Covid-19 should be that of the start of vaccination once morest seasonal flu. , mid-October”; which is the case. The HAS has long since confirmed that this co-administration “does not involve any danger”. The HAS therefore confirms that the “concomitant production of vaccines once morest influenza and Covid-19 is possible in order to avoid any delay in the administration of one or other of these injections”. Concretely, the two injections can be performed on the same day, but on two separate vaccination sites – one vaccine in each arm”, has already specified the HAS. For people who might not receive the booster dose once morest Covid-19 and the anti-influenza injection simultaneously, the HAS specifies “that there is no time limit to be observed between the two vaccinations”. This rule also applies to any association between vaccines once morest Covid-19 and other vaccines in the vaccination schedule.
“Having had Covid-19 (including the severe form) is not a contraindication to influenza vaccination if at the time of vaccination the person does not present symptoms or fever”, explains the site. amelia of social security. “For people who have had a severe form with serious sequelae (severe respiratory failure), vaccination once morest influenza is recommended”.
Double barrier measures
One of the rare “benefits” of the health crisis linked to Covid-19 is undoubtedly that the generalization of the barrier measures used to limit the spread of Sars-CoV-2 (hand washing, hydroalcoholic gel, physical distancing, etc.) should logically also act as a barrier to the transmission of influenza. The winning combo of this new winter period that we know will therefore be to respect the barrier measures and to be vaccinated once morest the flu, to be vaccinated once morest Covid-19. One epidemic can hide another, let’s do everything we can to guard once morest both.
