Flu season set to hit Israel early and hard, health officials say

Seasonal flu is expected to reach exceptionally high levels this year, health officials said on Sunday as the country launched its annual flu vaccination campaign.

The flu is one of the most common and contagious winter viruses. Similar to the coronavirus, the flu is spread from person to person primarily through droplets produced when people cough, sneeze, or even speak.

As of March 2020, Israel has had no known cases of the flu. Dr David Mossinson, chief medical officer of Meuhedet’s health services, explained that the situation arose in large part because citizens were careful about wearing masks in almost all situations last year. In addition, at the height of the spread of the flu in the country, people were locked up and schools and kindergartens were closed.

“Social distancing and masks made the flu season last year almost non-existent in our lives, and the last time there was such a low morbidity rate was in 1988,” said the head nurse of Meuhedet, Mali Kusha.

However, what Israel and the rest of the world saw this summer, when people started removing their masks, was a “jump in viruses and respiratory infections,” Mossinson said. “There has been an unusual and unexpected increase in respiratory infections that typically characterize the winter months. The result has been a significant burden on the healthcare system that we normally don’t see during the summer months – and this has been reported around the world as well. ”

The flu virus changes every year, so people need to get a new vaccine. The flu vaccine is produced based on the World Health Organization’s predictions of which strains are expected to circulate. In most cases, the predictions were correct and the vaccine worked.

The vaccine is most important for people in four target groups: people over 65, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, and infants and children six months to 12 years old who cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19.

This year, Meuhedet is offering the Fluzone High-Dose influenza vaccine for people over 65, which is 24% more effective.

Between 70 and 80 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, 50 to 70% of seasonal influenza-related hospitalizations have occurred in this age group.

In most years, around 60% of Israel’s elderly population is vaccinated.

All health insurance companies have standard influenza and nasal spray vaccines for people in other age groups.

Jessica Hirsh, a student at George Washington University, receives the H1N1 influenza vaccine as a nasal spray at the Student Health Service in Washington, November 19, 2009 (REUTERS / HYUNGWON KANG).

In addition, this year people can receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time, but ideally in different limbs.

“Last year when we started vaccinating in December, we lacked information on new COVID vaccines, so we didn’t allow people to take them together,” Mossinson said, noting that the protocol had was to have a 14 day gap between the two. blows.

He said people should rush to get their shots before the end of next month, when the flu is expected.

Could the flu shot help ward off COVID and vice versa?

“We have preliminary evidence,” Mossinson said. “But generally people who get vaccinated are also more health conscious people and I think that has more to do with that.”

He said: “There is nothing that is based on evidence so far, but maybe we will see.”