The development of the influenza vaccine has been a great advance in the field of medicine. Its use has saved thousands of lives, as it protects us from suffering from the flu, one of the most common diseases today.
In fact, influenza is the most common immuno-preventable condition in developed countries. It is an acute infectious disease that affects the respiratory tract of any person, be it a newborn, an adult or an elderly person.
Administration of the flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent this disease and its complications. Since it was introduced in Spain in the early 1980s, the vaccine has proven to be effective in the entire age range of the population with percentages that vary between 30% and 74%, depending on the season and concordance the vaccine.
Likewise, it is estimated that influenza vaccination reduces by 80% the number of hospitalizations due to pneumonia in people over 65 years of age and mortality in adults over 75 years with chronic diseases by around 22%.
However, despite being a very common vaccine in the general population, there are still a number of questions that require answers. Here we explain some of the most common questions to better understand its effectiveness and operation.
Why is the flu shot given every year?
One of the most remarkable characteristics of the virus that produces the flu is that it can change its structure very quickly. This change is known as a mutation. Therefore, the flu vaccine has to be redesigned every year to protect the population.
The types of flu viruses are called A, B, and C. The former is often responsible for large flu outbreaks and is constantly mutating. Type B tends to trigger small outbreaks and type C mild illnesses.
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