According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), complications from the Spanish flu kill more than a thousand people every year. In the department of León, about 20 people die each year, a number that has been declining since the 1980s and currently stands at nearly 40. The vaccine is one of the tools in the fight against complications of the virus, which mainly affects those at risk.
Influenza virus infection in healthy patients usually does not require medical care. The virus evolves and usually disappears within a week. But for high-risk patients, it can cause complications and lead to death, a risk the vaccination campaign aims to avoid. According to INE data, more than 80% of influenza deaths in 2021 were among people over 70 years old.
To the risks of influenza, we must add the complications of pneumonia. In 2022, 8,776 people died of pneumonia across Spain. In addition to its impact on mortality, influenza causes a corresponding decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) not only during the course of infection but also after recovery and carries with it the risk of patient dependence and loss of basic life autonomy, which may lead to Elderly people with disabilities and reduced mobility.
A greater proportion of patients who died from the flu were men over the age of 56 who had not received a flu shot during the flu season. In addition to the health effects, some studies estimate losses of 56.7 million euros per million inhabitants, and the direct impact in industrialized countries can reach 56.7 million euros per million inhabitants.
Flu vaccination is recommended for people aged over 60 and Covid-19 vaccination, as well as pregnant women and health and social care staff. The influenza vaccine is recommended for children 6 to 59 months old, and the infant bronchiolitis vaccine is recommended for newborns.
The incidence of acute respiratory infections in Castile and León has remained almost stable in recent weeks, with 763 cases per 100,000 people in the week of February 19-25, compared with 711 the previous week, although ” There has been a slight increase in emergencies and hospitalizations” “for these conditions.
Last week, the weekly incidence rate of all acute respiratory infections fell from 711 to 763 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with COVID-19 falling from 11 to 6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and with influenza rising slightly from 21 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. 22 cases.