The incidence of influenza in Aragon remains high (334 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and although the upward curve is slowing down, health centers continue to receive Many patients developed symptoms of respiratory tract infections. Health Minister José Luis Bancalero acknowledged on Wednesday during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Perpetuo Socorro health center in Huesca that the most affected are children.
He said that in fact, the age group from 0 to 4 years old is the age group for accumulating abilities. The highest incidence rate: 716.4 cases per 100,000 residents, more than double the community’s overall rate. This is confirmed by pediatricians who continue to receive a large number of pathology consultations related to respiratory viruses.
In this sense, explains Elena Javierre, President of the Aragon Primary Care Pediatric Association, “Children under 5 years old are more susceptible to infections, thus showing that they concentrate the majority of cases, especially those of influenza “The virus primarily affects children and is also a vector of transmission to adults.
The incidence rate for people aged 5 to 14 years is 437.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants; for 15 to 39 years, 361; from 40 to 65, 359; and for people over 65 years, 153.7, which is lower than the global rate in Aragon.
“Consultants say the incidence among teenagers is over 400 cases. And among adults, we have a lower incidence than what was assumed when the Ministry of Health decided to make masks compulsory for everyone.” What must be remembered is Mask wearing is mandatory in all health centers since last week. They stressed on Wednesday that the ministry’s position was that “experts are the ones who set the standards” Events requiring actionSpecifically, it is considered that the technical proposal for the protocol must come from the Alert Presentation of the Interregional Committee of the National Health System, with the participation of experts from the autonomous regions and the Ministry of Health, who can formulate what should be developed for each epidemic level of the intervention, with Objective criteria, and what precautions should be taken at each level.
The incidence among minors contrasts sharply with the coverage achieved to date flu vaccination campaign, which was launched in the region three and a half months ago. “We would like to have a better ratio,” Bancalero admitted, although among those over 80 it already exceeds the 75% target set by public health authorities at the beginning of the season. To be specific, it’s about 80%. However, among children aged 6 to 59 months, the group for which the vaccine was first recommended, coverage fell short of 45%.
For pediatrician Elena Javierre, “This is the first year that vaccination has been extended to children under 5 without risk factors,” and she says that maybe “people still don’t think it’s A necessary measure, as influenza is looked down upon and it is believed that in children it can be a mild course, and in some cases families choose not to be vaccinated. “However, he noted that as we insist , children can also get sick from the flu, and the symptoms can become more complex, and the hospitalization rate of children even exceeds the hospitalization rate of people over 65 years old. ” He noted that at the health center they continue to do “Active Capture” And reminds families that “even if a child has the flu or suspects they have the flu, there is still time to get them vaccinated because the flu vaccine protects against four types of influenza viruses.”
Bancalero also responded to the media regarding the fact that Huesca’s Salud Informa app does not offer the option to book a flu shot: “It reflects what citizens should really do.. It is betting on vaccinations, there is a great need in all health centers and we can guarantee that there will be no shortage of vaccines for everyone. It is true that by opening this activity to 100% of the population, the demand is great, but everything will be met. “
according to Nursing stress As the influenza epidemic has been acknowledged “it’s still going on”. “To say otherwise would be a lie, but we do really well,” he noted. He reiterated: “In 90% of our hospitals, 98% of patients in need are admitted within the first 24 hours. In Huesca and the hospitals in Teruel, which have almost no patients to admit. Indeed, in Miguel Servet: “To date there are two patients waiting for treatment, one of them with a mental illness that maintains special characteristics, the system lacks acute mental illness Patient bed. We are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again. “
“Revenues are not actually saturated,” Bancalero noted. emergency services But hospital emergency systems are still under pressure. “According to data provided by the CSIF Alliance, Servet had 14 patients at saturation this morning.