During the next four weeks and until November 15, only fragile and at-risk people will be able to get vaccinated against the flu virus.
The fall chill isn’t here yet, but the winter bugs are back. The seasonal flu vaccination campaign begins this Tuesday, October 18. It comes as Île-de-France is experiencing a return of the flu, at the same time as a new wave of Covid-19 contaminations, the eighth in almost three years. This vaccination campaign must continue until January 31, 2023.
The Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Île-de-France indicates that in the current epidemiological context, the co-circulation of Covid-19 and influenza viruses “pose serious risks to the most vulnerable people“.
This is why the seasonal flu vaccine will first be reserved for so-called fragile people during the first four weeks of the campaign, ie until November 15. On September 13, the Public Service site has compiled the list of people affected by the flu vaccination.
- People aged 65 and over
- People under 65 with certain chronic conditions
- Pregnant women
- People suffering from obesity (BMI equal to or greater than 40 kg/m2)
- The entourage of infants under 6 months at risk (who cannot be vaccinated) and immunocompromised people
- Health professionals and professionals from medico-social establishments in contact with patients at risk
- Home help for vulnerable individual employers
- Professionals exposed to swine and avian influenza viruses. They are targeted for the first time as part of the 2022-2023 campaign.
The vaccine will be free for people at risk. “If you are concerned, you will receive from your fund an invitation, and a voucher to collect the vaccine free of charge from the pharmacist on presentation of this voucher, and to be vaccinated by the professional of your choice.“, indicates the government. It adds: “Persons under the age of 18 must have a medical prescription prior to vaccination.“
It also indicates that if you are eligible, but could not be identified, and invited by the Health Insurance, speak to your doctor, your midwife or your pharmacist, who will be able to issue you a voucher allowing you to obtain the vaccine free of charge.
On the other hand, the vaccine is not covered by Health Insurance for other insured persons. The price of the vaccine varies between 6 and 10 euros in pharmacies.
The Public Service site recalls that it “it takes about fifteen days to benefit from the protection granted by the vaccine“. It also details the professionals qualified and authorized to be able to carry out the vaccination:
- The doctors
- The nurses
- Midwives (for pregnant women and those around infants at risk)
- Voluntary pharmacists, for adults (since October 2019, all pharmacists can perform the flu vaccination).
On its website, health insurance recalls that 2 to 6 million people are affected each winter by the flu in France. She insists it’s a disease”very contagious which can be serious, especially in fragile people“.
In a bulletin dated last October 12 – taking into account the data from October 3 to 9 – Public Health France indicated that there was then “no alarm” in our region concerning the incidence rate of consultations for flu-like illness. This was then 76 cases (per 100,000 inhabitants). This represents confirmed “sporadic” cases.
But to avoid any epidemic outbreak, both Health Insurance and the government also advocate maintaining barrier gestures, which have been gradually neglected, such as wearing a mask or social distancing. “Do not trivialize“Covid-19, said Health Minister François Braun last Thursday.It is also necessary to protect against the flu. That’s good, the barrier gestures, they protect from one as from the other“, he added.
Source: AFP