L’Expression: Continuous news – Seasonal flu: start of the vaccination campaign at the national level

The vaccination campaign against seasonal influenza began today, through the various hospitals and local health establishments, as well as private pharmacies, after the acquisition of 2.5 million doses by the Institut Pasteur. During a lively conference at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health, on the occasion of the launch of this campaign, the general director of prevention and health promotion at the ministry, Dr. Djamel Fourar, underlined the importance vaccination, in particular for vulnerable people, such as the elderly, the chronically ill and pregnant women, in compliance with preventive measures. He added that seasonal flu “could be more severe this year compared to previous years, given its prevalence rate and the experience of some countries currently in winter, such as Australia and the Island. “, hence the imperative, he said, to “vaccinate the greatest possible number of citizens, especially since the vaccine is available and has been distributed to hospitals, health centers nearby and private pharmacies. The Director General of the Institut Pasteur, Pr Faouzi Derar stressed that the vaccine for this season “is composed of four viral strains, and is likely to provide better protection and greater coverage at the national level”, recalling by the same occasion that “previous strains were less effective”. He also recommended raising awareness among health sector personnel of the importance of vaccination to prevent the transmission of the virus to patients, stressing that the vaccination of health personnel “prevents the risk of contamination in the hospital environment. of 35%”. Derar recalled, moreover, that the vaccine “reduces the risk of contamination by 75 to 90%, the immune system of the vaccinated being reinforced after 10 days of the injection”.