Database of diseases - Flu and cold

IS THE VACCINATION EFFECTIVE?

It is known that no medicine is 100% effective! And what is the vaccine against real influenza A viruses?


What is the effectiveness of a real influenza A virus vaccine?

Almost completely the effectiveness of the vaccine depends on whether the doctors and scientists responsible for the selection of weakened viruses (or their pieces) for the vaccine - they will choose the next year's aggressor well !? Due to the high variability of the influenza virus, the composition of all vaccines around the world changes every year. However, for many years strains of influenza virus, which are used for influenza vaccine, thanks to the latest molecular biology technique, turn out to be almost 100 percent. consistent with those that appear in the next epidemic season. Thanks to this, the effectiveness of the vaccine is high - it reaches an average of 70-80%. S



What do we gain thanks to the high effectiveness of the vaccine?

The list of illnesses and health damages caused by influenza is very long. Many post-influenza complications go through severely, risking damage to organs - the heart, the kidneys - even death. The most severe flu suffers from a person with handicapped or uneducated immunity: young children, the elderly and people with immunity due to immunopressives after organ transplants (kidneys, heart, etc.). These people can give the flu vaccine a living.


The vaccine is economical

If we compare the cost of a vaccine - around 40-50 zlotys (without the cost of an injection, which is free in a local clinic) with the cost of influenza treatment (antibiotics, aspirin, paracetamol, cough syrup, vitamins, etc.) - it turns out that the vaccine is 2-3 times cheaper. The meticulous should still count the cost of a 2-week downtime at work and in business, as usually caused by the flu.


Is the vaccine dangerous to health?

The adverse effect of vaccines is a myth. 96 people in 100 are well tolerated, although some patients may have post-vaccination reactions, such as swelling and redness at the injection site. Occasionally, you may have transient flu-like symptoms that pass quickly and are harmless to your health.


Are there any other dangers and contraindications?

There is a small probability of a negative reaction to the vaccine - associated with allergy to egg white, which is a breeding medium for the inactivation of influenza viruses. In these cases, a doctor should be consulted about the possible use of the vaccine. Occasionally, slight swelling of the graft site lasting several days may occur after the procedure. But what does this reaction to a vaccine mean to the protection it gives to older people who suffer from severe chronic diseases and those who have reduced resistance to disease. Often, this applies to children after antibiotic treatments. It is also advisable to vaccinate pregnant women because it also protects the newborn for the first few months of life.


Contraindications

Contraindication to the administration of the vaccine is allergy to egg protein, non-viral components of the vaccine, some antibiotics used in the production of the preparation, infection with high fever. Also, people who have had side effects after previous vaccination should not be vaccinated.


 

Unjustified accusations against the vaccine

Quite often, an influenza vaccine is accused of ineffectiveness. - How is it? I got vaccinated, but I got sick? However, the truth is different. We caught a flu-like infection, which unfortunately does not have a vaccine. And we should console ourselves right away - it is not as dangerous to health as the flu.There are about 100 viruses that cause flu-like infections of the upper respiratory tract, but only Myxovirus influenzae A and B is responsible for the REAL GRYP ?.





How to distinguish it from the fluFlu-like infection of the upper respiratory tract?

How can you distinguish it from other flu-like illnesses? The incubation period for flu is very short - up to two days. So we start to get sick almost when the virus enters the body. In the case of other viruses, the first symptoms appear only after 3-14 days. The flu starts very sharply: violent chills, severe headache, joints, muscles and eyeballs. The body temperature rises very quickly and exceeds 39 ° C. Infection with other types of viruses does not cause symptoms so violent, the body temperature does not exceed 38 ° C.

Differences in the symptoms of flu and cold

 

Type of symptoms

Cold

Flu

1

2

3

Qatar and sneezing

It is commonplace

Sometimes it occurs, but rare

Increased runny nose,

Not too much

It can be very strong then

Sore throat

It is commonplace

Sometimes it occurs, but rare

Fever

Rarely

Frequent and high above 39 oC

Cough

Sometimes, especially when the rhinitis subsides

Often

Headache

Rarely

Dominant symptom

Pain in muscles and joints

Umiarowane

They usually occur with a high severity

The feeling of "breaking up"

Slight intensity

Strong, can last for 2-3 weeks

Prostration

Never

It is already at the beginning of the flu, often one of the dominant symptoms

Pain in the chest

Of low or moderate intensity

Almost always occurs, the severity can be significant

Complications

Frequency conditioned by individual immunity and quality of treatment.

They usually result from bacterial superinfection

Frequency conditioned by individual immunity and quality of treatment. The most common complications: bronchitis, pneumonia, inflammation or irritation of the meninges, myocarditis, and nephritis. Some complications can be serious, requiring hospital treatment.

  

 

Where to vaccinate?

Vaccinations are carried out by almost all local outpatient clinics (ZOZ) and many private, and sanitary-epidemiological stations, after the patient has been examined by the doctor employed at the vaccination point.



ed. Edward Ozga Michalski, MA