Flu shot campaign 2012

The flu is a significant public health problem, because of its ubiquity and contagiousness, the frequent transformations of the flu viruses, the presence of vector species and the possible serious complications. The health and economic repercussions of the disease are a significant problem, both individually and collectively.

The flu shot represents an efficient and safe means to prevent the disease and its complications. The Varese Health Authority, on the occasion of the initiatives that want to control and prevent the flu syndrome among the population, also this year will be committed in the flu shot campaign, offering actively and for free the vaccination to all people at risk. The primary goal of the flu shot is to protect people who, in case of infection, could suffer serious complications. In order to succeed there will made available 97,000 doses for the categories at risk and for people who are over 65 and about 250 doses for children at risk up to 3-years-old. The vaccination will be given by the social and health district of the local health authority and by the Primary Care Physician’s consulting rooms. The flu shot campaign is starting on Tuesday November 13th 2012. In order to ease the citizens at risk of chronic diseases, the criterion of “health taxes immunity” will be used. These diseases must be recognized by the Regional Bulletin 29/SAN/04 and must be known to the Primary Care Physicians and to the health and social district. It is recommended, though, for all the people who recognize themselves in the categories that follow, to go to the consulting rooms which administrate the flu shot starting from that date: people who are 65 or over (born in 1947 and before), children aged over 6 months, teenagers and adults up to 64 affected by diseases which increase the risk of flu complications such as chronic diseases relating to the breathing apparatus, diseases of the circulatory system, diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders, tumors, kidney diseases with kidney failure, chronic liver diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases and syndromes of gastric malabsorption, haematopoiesis and hemoglobinopathies, congenital or acquired disorders which involve a reduced production of antibodies or immunosuppression induced by drugs or by HIV, diseases that involve serious surgical interventions, muscles diseases.

Children and teenagers are also included among the categories at risk for which we recommend the vaccination in treatment in the long run with acetylsalicylic acid and at risk of Reye’s syndrome in case of flu infection, women who at the beginning of the epidemic season are in the second and third quarter of pregnancy, people who live next to social and health structures for elderly or disabled. The vaccination is recommended also to doctors and health staff of personal assistance in rest homes and elderly homes, volunteers of health services in order to limit the diffusion of the infection among the population, people who live with people at high risk who cannot be vaccinated, police force and fire fighters, staff in contact with animals (pigs and poultry) which could constitute a source of the animal flu virus (people in charge of breeding activities, people in charge of transport of livestock, butchers, people who perform vaccinations, public and private veterinaries). As the human transmission of the flu virus occurs by air though drops of saliva by coughing or sneezing, but even indirectly though contact with hands infected by respiratory secretions, a great hygiene of hands is important in order to limit the diffusion of the flu. To reduce the transmission of the flu virus, these following actions are recommended: washing your hands (in absence of water, use analcoholic gel, good respiratory hygiene, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, use handkerchiefs and wash your hands), voluntary isolation by the house of the people with respiratory febrile illnesses especially in the initial phase, use of masks by the people with flu smyptons, when they are in sanitary places (hospitals).