In the 128 days leading up to 2022 there were 11,560 deaths from Covid. Gives an average of 90 kills per day. According to the Vital Statistics report of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, in 2019 they died in our country 32,541 people with flu or pneumonia, a figure that with some nuance is sustained year following year. This is 89 deaths per day.
It does not mean that deaths from the new Covid are few, but rather from two old and well-known diseases such as the flu and pneumonia. there are still manyespecially since there are vaccines for both infections that help prevent serious cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
The reports of the Surveillance of Acute Respiratory Infections accumulated to week 12 of the year 2022 show that 129,916 reports of influenza-like illness and 20,016 cases of pneumonia.
According to new estimates from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), each year there are 650 thousand deaths for flu-related illnesses.
Los most vulnerable groups These include people age 65 and older, patients of any age with certain chronic conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, and children younger than 24 months.
In Argentina, vaccination campaigns once morest Covid and the flu are carried out at the same time. Photo Ministry of Health.
The Argentine Society of Vaccinology and Epidemiology (SAVE) has just launched a campaign to raise awareness in the community regarding the importance of protecting yourself. “A pause for your health” is the name under which SAVE is carrying out this initiative.
The campaign includes a website (www.unapausaportusalud.com) with messages regarding both diseases, risk groups, risk assessment tests and answers to frequently asked questions.
It also invites people who make up risk groups to consult with their doctors and go to a vaccination center and apply both vaccineswhich can be inoculated together without problems.
These and other vaccines included in the national vaccination schedule are given free of charge in all vaccination centers and official health centers and in public hospitals throughout the country.
“The figures are overwhelming and show the relevance of influenza and pneumonia as a public health problem. On the other hand, vaccination coverage in our country for these two vaccine-preventable diseases does not reach the desired value and, as occurs with other vaccines on the calendar, it is at suboptimal levels,” said Florencia Cahn, president of the Argentine Society of Vaccinology and Epidemiology (SAVE).
The flu has advanced in recent months with the temporary retraction of Covid cases. Photo: Telam
“When we analyze the death reports we see that the curve grows exponentially from 60-65 years of age. They are people who generally have some other risk factors, such as cardiovascular and/or respiratory diseases: a flu or pneumonia in them is much more complex and at risk of leaving sequelae and even producing a fatal outcome,” they added from SAVE.
The first measure once morest the flu is to get vaccinated every year. It has been shown to reduce complications and also the possibility of hospitalizations or even death; the influenza virus has a high capacity to undergo variations from year to year and produces short lived antibodiesTherefore, annual vaccination is required to achieve protection.
The importance of vaccination was reflected in the Covid pandemic. As coverage advanced in the population, the number of serious cases and deaths decreased. Until December 31, 2021, the daily average of deaths had been 174, almost double that registered in the first four months of 2022.
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