Two thirds of those hospitalized with influenza were healthy minors Extremadura 7dias.com

The influenza campaign in Extremadura has just begun and this year, as a new initiative, influenza vaccination has been included in the vaccination schedule for children aged 6 to 59 months.

The decision to vaccinate children under 5 against influenza follows recommendations from the Ministry of Health and the Spanish Pediatric Association, which believe that influenza can be very serious and can produce bacterial superinfections in young children. The numbers bear this out, too, as children in their early years of education are often the first to be affected by influenza outbreaks, with hospitalization rates for children under 5 years old being equal to or higher than those for children over 5 years old. 65 years.

Influenza immunization will be given to all healthy children, as 2 out of 3 children admitted to hospital with influenza have no previous illness. This can lead to various complications and overuse of antibiotics.

In fact, otitis media is a common condition among children with influenza, accounting for 80% of antibiotic prescriptions in minors.