Public Health warns: ‘We will continue to vaccinate against flu in the face of changes in virus transmission’

“The spread of influenza viruses is starting to change, they are unpredictable, they sometimes appear when people don’t expect them, as was the case with the massive outbreak last summer,” the medical professional assured.

“We have very effective and safe vaccines for the most vulnerable. Now is a good time to go to the nearest vaccination center and get vaccinated,” he said.

He recalled that influenza viruses are highly transmissible and easily contagious, especially among children. “A sneeze can remove particles at a speed of 100 kilometers per second, and these particles can be very large and contain the flu virus, or they can be very small. The big ones can travel a meter and stay on the surface of the water. The flu virus is very resistant, They can survive up to 48+ hours on steel, granite surfaces; they can live on clothes for days,” he noted and diagrammed: “Imagine being on a bus and someone sneezes on the handle or the door. These are Facilitating the problem of transmission. In children, the influenza virus can be transmitted even before symptoms appear (up to three or four days). He guarantees that there is continued infectivity up to 10 days after the onset of symptoms.”

“While children may be particularly vulnerable and should therefore be vaccinated, by vaccinating them we can also prevent transmission to adults with risk factors,” he said.

He emphasized that according to the latest national communique, about 63,000 people will die from respiratory diseases in 2021, and “about 33,000 people will die from influenza or pneumonia.”