In the flu season, Jiangsu CDC suggested timely vaccination against influenza.

Since September, Nanjing Children’s Hospital has received nearly 400 cases of influenza, which ushered in a small peak of influenza treatment.

Recently, the National Health and Wellness Commission held a press conference, suggesting that with the cold weather, it is the epidemic season of respiratory infectious diseases. Wang Huaqing, chief expert of immunization program of China CDC, suggested that influenza vaccine should be vaccinated before the end of October.

He mentioned that vaccination is usually better before the flu epidemic season, and it is generally recommended to complete vaccination before the end of October. If the vaccination is not available before October for various reasons, the vaccination should be completed as soon as possible in the follow-up so that the effect of the vaccine can be better played. Because it takes about 2 to 4 weeks for the vaccine to have an effect.

How to choose the flu vaccine? Who should be vaccinated the most? Who doesn’t recommend vaccination? About 13 questions about influenza vaccine, Jiangsu CDC authorities answered questions-

Q1. Why should I get the flu vaccine?

Influenza is not a common cold, but an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza virus. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization, influenza can cause 3 million to 5 million severe cases and 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory diseases-related deaths worldwide every year. Vaccination against influenza is an effective means to prevent influenza and reduce influenza-related severe illness and death.

Q2. What are the types of influenza vaccines? How should I choose?

There are inactivated vaccines (including split vaccines and subunit vaccines), attenuated live vaccines and recombination vaccines. According to the components contained in the vaccine, it can be divided into trivalent and tetravalent influenza vaccines. Compared with trivalent influenza vaccine, tetravalent influenza vaccine strains have added a pedigree of influenza B. Inactivated vaccine was injected intramuscularly, and attenuated live vaccine was sprayed intranasally.

The influenza vaccines approved for marketing in China this year include trivalent inactivated vaccine, tetravalent inactivated vaccine and trivalent attenuated live vaccine. People aged ≥6 months can be vaccinated with trivalent or tetravalent inactivated vaccine, and people aged 3~17 can also choose trivalent attenuated live vaccine. For people who can be vaccinated with different types of vaccine products from different manufacturers, they can voluntarily vaccinate any kind of influenza vaccine, and there is no priority recommendation.

Q3. When should I get the flu vaccine?

Usually, the antibody can reach the protective level after 2~4 weeks of influenza vaccination. The time and duration of the annual peak of influenza activity are different in different parts of China. It is suggested that the recipients should be vaccinated with influenza vaccine one month before the influenza epidemic season. If the vaccination is not completed before the arrival of the epidemic season, it can be vaccinated throughout the epidemic season.

Q4. Where can I get the flu vaccine?

Influenza vaccines can usually be vaccinated in community health service centers or hospitals. Vaccination units may vary from place to place, so please consult the local health administrative department for details.

Q5. Who needs influenza vaccination?

People who are over 6 months old and have no vaccination contraindications should be vaccinated against influenza.

Combined with the epidemic situation of influenza and the prevention and control strategy of multi-disease prevention, the harm of influenza is reduced as much as possible, and the following key and high-risk groups are recommended to be vaccinated in time:

① Medical personnel, including clinical rescue personnel, public health personnel, health and quarantine personnel, etc.

② Older people over 60 years old;

③ people suffering from one or more chronic diseases;

(4) Vulnerable people and employees in gathering places such as old-age care institutions, long-term care institutions and welfare homes;

⑤ Children aged 6 ~ 59 months;

⑥ Family members and caregivers of infants under 6 months old;

⑦ Crowds in key places such as kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and supervision places.

Q6. Who can’t be vaccinated?

① Those who are allergic to any ingredients contained in the vaccine (including auxiliary materials, formaldehyde, cracking agents and antibiotics) or who have had a history of severe allergy to any kind of influenza vaccination are prohibited from vaccination;

② Patients suffering from acute diseases, severe chronic diseases or acute attacks of chronic diseases, as well as patients with fever, are advised to be vaccinated after recovery or stable control of their condition;

③ Patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks after previous influenza vaccination are advised to be evaluated by doctors before considering whether to vaccinate.

It should be noted that the following populations are prohibited from receiving live attenuated vaccines:

① Persons with low immune function due to drug use, HIV infection and other reasons;

② Children and adolescents who have been treated with drugs containing aspirin or salicylic acid for a long time;

③ Children with asthma aged 2-4 years;

4 pregnant women;

⑤ Those with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome;

⑥ Those who used antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir and zanamivir 48 hours before inoculation, or those who used palamivir 5 days before inoculation, or those who used balosevir 17 days before inoculation.

Q7. What should I pay attention to after influenza vaccination?

After vaccination, you need to stay in the vaccination unit for half an hour. If there is no abnormality, you can leave on your own. After returning home, pay attention to rest, eat lightly and avoid strenuous exercise. If there is any abnormal phenomenon, you can consult and report to the vaccination doctor and go to the hospital if necessary.

Q8. Why do you have to get the flu vaccine every year?

First of all, influenza virus is prone to mutation. The World Health Organization proposes the recommended components of influenza vaccine for the next epidemic season every year based on the results of global influenza surveillance, and the influenza virus strains targeted by influenza vaccines may be different in different years. Secondly, the immunity of influenza vaccination will gradually weaken over time. Therefore, in order to provide more effective protection, it is recommended to vaccinate against influenza every year.

Q9. Is it safe to get the flu vaccine? Are there any side effects?

Influenza vaccination is safe, but like other medical products, influenza vaccine may also have adverse reactions. The common adverse reactions of influenza vaccination include local reactions (redness, swelling, induration, pain, burning sensation, etc.) and systemic reactions (fever, headache, dizziness, lethargy, fatigue, myalgia, general malaise, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.). These adverse reactions are usually mild, and usually disappear on their own within a few days, with few serious reactions.

Q10. Can people with egg allergy be vaccinated against influenza?

Egg allergy is not a taboo in People’s Republic of China (PRC) Pharmacopoeia (2015 and 2020 editions). The current pharmacopoeia stipulates that the content of ovalbumin in inactivated influenza virus vaccine should not be higher than 250ng/ dose, and the content of ovalbumin in split vaccine should not be higher than 200ng/ml. There is no description of attenuated live vaccine at present. The measurement of egg protein content in commonly used influenza vaccines in China shows that the highest content is not more than 140ng/ml. At the same time, foreign scholars’ research on the inactivated vaccine or attenuated live vaccine inoculated to those who are allergic to eggs shows that no serious allergic reaction has occurred. Therefore, egg allergy is not recommended as a taboo for influenza vaccination.

Q11. Won’t you get the flu after vaccination?

In most years, influenza vaccine has a good match with influenza epidemic strains and has good protection. However, there is also a certain probability that the strain of influenza vaccine does not match the epidemic strain, which further affects the protection effect of influenza vaccine. In addition, influenza vaccination can only prevent influenza caused by influenza virus, but can not prevent such symptoms caused by infection of pathogens other than influenza virus (such as parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, etc.).

Q12. Can I get the flu vaccine while using antiviral drugs?

Inactivated influenza vaccine can also be inoculated during the prevention and treatment of influenza antiviral drugs. Preventive or therapeutic use of anti-influenza drugs will affect the immune effect of attenuated live influenza vaccine, and it is not recommended to use both at the same time. If you have used any other vaccines or drugs, including over-the-counter drugs, please inform the vaccination doctor before vaccination.

Q13. Can the flu vaccine be vaccinated at the same time as other vaccines?

Inactivated influenza vaccine, other inactivated vaccines and attenuated live vaccines, such as enterovirus 71 vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, herpes zoster vaccine, chickenpox vaccine, measles vaccine and DTP vaccine, can be inoculated in different parts at the same time.

There is limited research evidence that live attenuated influenza vaccine and other vaccines are vaccinated at the same time. After vaccination with live attenuated influenza vaccine, other live attenuated vaccines can only be vaccinated after an interval of more than 4 weeks. (Wang Tian)

Source: Xinhua Daily Intersection Point