FLU VACCINE | Doctors indicated the key timing of flu vaccinations

flu and covid vaccination campaign It’s been working for several days now Catalonia and will last until January 2025. Although it previously began at the beginning of October, this year, like the previous year, it began on September 23 to avoid a rise in cases in the run-up to autumn. If the vaccination period is more than three months and there is no forecast for the onset of a cold, the question arises: When is the best time to strike? Doctors have the answer.

Salute has already immunized older people in nursing homes, pregnant women, people over 80 and patients with severe chronic illnesses. Next Monday, October 14, They will open vaccination to the rest of the population who have an increased risk of complications from the influenza virus and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

seasonal flu This is one of the biggest threats to public health world. According to the Ministry of Health, immunization prevents more than 34,000 cases of diseases and related complications every year in Catalonia.

The puncture is performed in the DAC.

For this reason, the Generalitat acquired a total of 1,768,000 doses of flu shotswhich is 53,000 more than last year’s campaign (1,715,000) and 163,200 more than the 2022-2023 campaign (1,604,800).

Vaccination will be carried out at Primary Health Centers (PHCs) by appointment, which can now be requested through the La Meva Salut personal portal., from citasalut.gencat.cat or by calling your CAP reference.

Best time to get vaccinated

But the question remains up in the air: When should you go to the ATC to get a flu shot? “Time can be important because The protection provided by the piercing begins to wear off after about four months.“,” explains Dr. Linda Yancey, director of infection prevention at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, USA. “That doesn’t mean it’s still not effective, but the best results are achieved several months after the injection,” he says.

Experts note that optimal period get vaccinated against flu and covid from September to October. “Receiving a dose during these months usually provides maximum protection when cases are most common, one or two months later,” defends Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York.

Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, also says it’s best not to delay taking the dose until achieve the greatest protection at the moment of greatest infection. Because the highest peak of both diseases usually occurs in November, December and even January. Louis says that The best date range for vaccination is “late October.” every year.

What if someone goes ahead or delays the injection?

Experts say that It is better to get a flu shot outside of the recommended period than not to get a flu shot.. “The only downside to immunizing too early is that peak protection will have passed by the time the flu appears,” explains Yancey. Despite this, he calls for calm. “No need to worry: the vaccine protects throughout flu season“.

As for procrastinators: “If it’s still cold, it’s probably a good idea to get vaccinated. Although cases typically peak between December and January, they typically continue into March and April,” warns Handel.