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– The interest in influenza vaccines is ten times greater than in previous years – said the chairman of the Scientific Council of the National Program for Combating Influenza Prof. Adam Antczak. Unfortunately, it is more and more difficult to get the vaccine in pharmacies and clinics.
Poles want to get vaccinated against the flu
The specialist spoke about it during the “Flu Forum 2020” conference organized in Warsaw. The data presented during the experts’ meeting show that 2019 were sold in the 2020/1 season. doses of flu vaccines. This means that 582 percent were vaccinated against this disease during the flu season. Poles, more than in previous years.
In the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons, 3,26 percent were vaccinated. people, and in the period 2018/2019 – 3,9 percent. population. The 2011/2012 season was record-breaking, when 4,48 percent received the flu vaccine. our population. Seniors are vaccinated most often. In the 2019/2020 season, this preparation was taken by 15,1 percent. people aged 65 and over, more than in the 2011/2012 season (4,2%).
Interest in influenza vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic
In the current season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in flu vaccinations in our country is record-breaking.
– It exceeds ten times what it was in the previous season – said the chairman of the Scientific Council of the National Program Against Influenza, prof. Adam Antczak.
The specialist noted that also in other countries the interest in vaccination against influenza has increased, but there it is generally twice as high. However, in Western Europe many more people have been vaccinated for years than in Poland, for example in France in the past season 45% of people were vaccinated against influenza. population.
According to prof. Antczak, from the beginning of September, nearly 800 thousand. flu vaccines, and in early October, over 500 – It is a normal situation, every year vaccines reach Poland in several installments. In total, 2 million doses of this preparation are to be delivered to our market – he explained.
Experts admitted that it is not known for how long such great interest in these vaccinations will persist in our country. However, it can be suspected that this flu season will be greater than in previous years and these vaccines will not be enough for everyone, despite subsequent deliveries. – I don’t have to persuade any of my patients to get vaccinations against flu – added prof. Antczak.
President-elect of the Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society prof. Marcin Czech said that the lack of vaccines also affected those who got vaccinated every year, including himself.
– I have been vaccinating myself and my children and my whole family against influenza for many years, but this year I have not managed to get a vaccine – he stressed. Vaccination is the most cost-effective medical procedure, he added.
According to experts, only the global pandemic in Poland made the society aware of the important role played by influenza vaccination. “May this positive trend continue for a longer time, regardless of the epidemiological situation, I hope so” – he emphasized.
Flu vaccinations in the 2020/2021 season
In the current flu season, the refund of flu vaccinations has been extended, which has also increased interest. All social groups have already been covered. Seniors over 75 years of age are provided with free vaccinations from the state budget. At 50 percent the reimbursement can be granted to seniors aged 65-74, children from 2 to 5 years of age, pregnant women and people from 18 to 64 years of age with comorbidities, more likely to be infected with the influenza virus and complications of this disease.
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From the current flu season, for the first time, reimbursed vaccines for children will be available in the intranasal form, for the remaining groups they are intramuscular vaccines.
– It’s a great success. Poland is no longer at the bottom when it comes to reimbursement of flu vaccinations – noted Prof. Antczak.
This year, the flu vaccine has a different composition to the one used last season. In the so-called in quadrivalent (quadruple) vaccines there are antigens: A / Guangdong-Maonan / 20129 (H1N1), A / Hong Kong / 2019 (H3N2), B / Washington / 2019 (B / Victoria) and B / Phuket / 2013 (B / Yamagata ).
The data of the National Institute of Public Health-PZH in Warsaw show that in the previous flu season 2029/2020, almost 4 million Poles became infected with flu and flu-like infectionsof these, 17 were hospitalized and 639 died. In the 65/2018 season, over 2019 million of these infections were recorded, and in 4,6/2017 – over 2018 million.
Author: Zbigniew Wojtasiński / PAP
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