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Influenza is a contagious disease. It is transmitted by air (splashing of secretions by postillions, coughing or sneezing), by close contact with a person who has the flu, or by contact with hands or contaminated objects (door handle, cutlery, etc. .). After infection with the influenza virus, the disease begins within 48 hours on average. Infected persons remain contagious until five days after the onset of the first signs (up to seven days in children). Usually, says the website of the Ministry of Health, it suddenly appears in the form of a high fever, body aches, headache, intense fatigue, general malaise and respiratory symptoms: dry cough, nose that flowing. The illness lasts about a week, but fatigue is frequently felt for the next three to four weeks. A dry cough may persist for two weeks. Influenza is often considered a low-risk disease, which is most often the case when it occurs in healthy young people. Influenza can be serious, even fatal, especially in frail people, such as the elderly or those with certain chronic diseases (diabetes, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, people with weakened immune systems, etc.). ), pregnant women, overweight people or infants. Complications may arise, such as: a serious lung infection (or pneumonia) and worsening of the chronic disease of which one is affected. The treatment of flu combines rest, rehydration, taking medication against fever (antipyretics) and pain. The use of a specific antiviral medicine against influenza may be offered by the attending physician in certain situations. In this case, the treatment is effective if it starts within two days after the onset of symptoms. During the epidemic of the 2015-2016 season, nearly 80% of serious cases admitted to intensive care had a risk factor, remind the health authorities. Vaccination therefore remains the preferred individual prevention solution for people at risk.
Who should be vaccinated and why?
Vaccination against seasonal influenza viruses concerns people who are vulnerable to infection and at risk of complications. It allows both:
– to reduce the risk of being contaminated by influenza;
– to reduce the risk of serious forms of influenza.
Vaccination of pregnant women also protects the infant in its first months of life. Influenza virus strains in circulation are not the same from one year to the next and the duration of protection of the vaccine may disappear after a few months. That's why you have to get vaccinated every year. An annual flu vaccination is recommended for all people 65 years of age and older.
Vaccination against influenza is recommended:
– pregnant women, whatever the stage of pregnancy;
– to anyone over the age of six months if they have any of the following diseases: immunity disorders and blood diseases: cancers and other blood diseases, organ and bone marrow transplantation, immunodeficiency, inflammatory and / or autoimmune diseases treated with immunosuppressants, HIV infection, sickle cell disease; respiratory diseases: chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, silicosis, dilation of the bronchi, cystic fibrosis, malformations of the thoracic cage … All these diseases are indeed likely to be aggravated by the flu; cardiovascular diseases: conbad heart disease, heart failure, heart valve disease, cardiac arrhythmias, heart disease, angina pectoris, history of stroke, heart attack or bypbad; kidney and liver diseases: severe chronic nephropathy (kidney disease), people on dialysis, nephrotic syndrome, chronic liver disease; neurological and neuromuscular diseases: severe forms of neurological and muscular disorders (myopathy, multiple sclerosis, sequelae of stroke, dementia of the Alzheimer's or other type, poliomyelitis, myasthenia …), paraplegia or tetraplegia with involvement of the diaphragm; metabolic disorders: diabetes, obesity.
The vaccination schedule for adults (over 18 years of age) is as follows: Influvac Tetra tetravalent vaccine, an annual dose. The vaccine is 100% covered by the Health Insurance for people at risk, that is to say for the people for whom it is recommended.
What efficiency?
The protection against the flu is reached within two weeks after vaccination: the vaccine must be performed every year, in the fall (for metropolitan France), to protect against the winter epidemic that follows. The composition of the vaccine is updated annually according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and takes into account the viruses that are most likely to circulate during the winter. Influenza is unpredictable and vaccine effectiveness varies from year to year. The vaccine is most effective when the types of influenza viruses chosen to formulate it are close to the strains that actually circulate during the seasonal epidemic. Many vaccinated people think they have had the flu despite vaccination. This may be due to two causes: it is indeed a flu and the person has not responded to the vaccine because its effectiveness is incomplete; it is not a true flu, but another virosis (infection with a virus) whose symptoms resemble those of the flu.
It is important to remember that under no circumstances can the vaccine cause influenza because it contains only an inactivated fraction of the virus. This vaccination is recommended in the expert report on HIV.
What are the contraindications and adverse effects?
You should refer to the vaccine leaflet, which is available on the website of the public drug database for all contraindications and adverse effects. The vaccine should not be used in case of allergy to active substances, any of the other components of the vaccine, or trace residues, such as eggs or chicken protein. Vaccination should be postponed in case of acute illness with fever.
Side effects common to all injectable vaccines: reaction at the injection site such as pain, redness, swelling: very common (more than ten cases out of 100 people vaccinated); general effects such as fever, muscle or joint pain: common (one to ten cases per 100 vaccinated persons); allergic reaction: very rare (one case in 450 000 vaccinated persons).
Serious allergic reactions, although very rare, may occur after vaccination. If any of the symptoms described below occur, you should immediately contact a doctor or medical emergency: a rash that may be itchy or bubbling; swelling of the eyes and face difficulty breathing or swallowing a sudden drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.
A free vaccine for people at risk
The High Health Authority recommends vaccination for people at particular risk of complications of influenza: people aged 65 and over; people with certain chronic diseases, including HIV infection (see above); pregnant women ; people suffering from obesity (BMI equal to or greater than 40kg / m2); family circle of infants under 6 months at risk of severe influenza (for the purpose of protecting infants who can not be vaccinated). For these people, the vaccine is free. Only the influenza vaccine is 100% supported; the injection of the vaccine is managed under the usual conditions, except for patients who are 100% cared for under one of the ALDs concerned (this is the case of HIV, for example).
The vaccine in practice
If you are concerned, your health insurance fund sends you an invitation and a voucher. This voucher will allow you to benefit from the flu vaccine free of charge. It includes a portion for the pharmacist and a portion for the health professional who will administer the injection. Starting in 2018, to facilitate access to vaccination for people for whom vaccination is recommended, the vaccination journey is simplified:
You are older than 18 years, vaccination is recommended (you are in the criteria: people aged 65 and over, people suffering from a chronic disease, etc.) and you have received a voucher to take care of you. Health Insurance. Whether you have been vaccinated previously or not, you can withdraw your vaccine at the pharmacy on presentation of the voucher and get vaccinated by the health professional of your choice: doctor, midwife, nurse-era (without prior medical prescription), pharmacist (without prior medical prescription) participating in the experimentation in the following regions: Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, New Aquitaine, Hauts de France, Occitanie.
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