Yasmina Kattou, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: PEAKSTOCK / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRAR / LDA / Science Photo Library via AFP
While three regions have entered the pre-epidemic phase regarding the flu, specialists such as epidemiologist Philippe Amouyel insist on getting vaccinated, especially children. According to him, this is becoming urgent to avoid having a flu epidemic.
The flu is gone! Three regions have entered the pre-epidemic phase: Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Ile de France, and Alpes Côte-d’Azur. Which means that the others will quickly follow. Since mid-October, vulnerable people have been invited to be vaccinated, but pharmacists are worried. Compared to last year, at the same period, there were more vaccinations: a little more than 8 million doses delivered last year on the 43rd day of the vaccination campaign, which is 6% less this year.
“Childhood vaccination is an important issue”
It is now, before the race for Christmas presents, that we must be vaccinated, and in particular vaccinate children, insists Philippe Amouyel, epidemiologist and professor of public health. “Today we are observing an increase in the number of cases of infection with the influenza virus. This means that it is time to get vaccinated. For the first fifteen days of December, it is becoming urgent to avoid having a flu epidemic in the context where it will be two or three years since we have had many flu infections”, he underlines at the microphone of Europe 1.
The professor even questions the saturation of hospitals. “Are hospital emergency rooms going to be saturated?” asks Philippe Amouyel. According to him, vaccinating children is an important element as they can transmit the disease very easily within the school or within their family. “Under these conditions, the vaccination of children is an important issue to contain this epidemic and, of course, to avoid transmission to the most vulnerable, such as their grandparents or even their parents,” he concludes.