The AIFA has had to intervene to prevent the spread of false news disclosed as early as 2014. A warning against fake news which is linked to a guide by Dr. Paolo Toniolo, which debunks eight false myths on the subject.
Influenza vaccine
The WARNING comes to the season just begun that marks, for now, 283 thousand people already affected all' influenza, and bears the signature of the AIFA. The Italian drug agency was in fact "forced" to intervene on the effects of the flu shot because, he explains, "it circulates on social media at this time and with clear alarmist intent on the part of who periodically raises the news of a ban on the use of flu shots ". But in reality, the mentioned articles warn the Agency "date back to 2014 and report news of deaths that in no case have been related to the administration of vaccines, has emerged from the scientific insights carried out later by the national and European authorities".
It is, therefore, a "misleading news that risks damaging the ongoing influenza vaccination campaign". While the AIFA reiterates "the importance of vaccinating against the flu, in particular, to do it the categories most at risk" and therefore especially the elderly and those suffering from various diseases that increase the danger of complications, and "do not be conditioned" from the fake news circulating on the web ". Also because in the 2014-2015 season the percentage of people vaccinated against the flu was 13.6 percent: two points lower than the previous season.
"Unfortunately this is not the only fake news on the subject", notes Paolo Toniolo, a specialist in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, responsible for the vaccination ambulatory of the Santagostino Medical Center in Milan of the Sant'Agostino Center in Milan, Bologna, and Brescia. So much so that Toniolo to avoid "the contagion of wrong and misleading information on the anti-flu vaccine" has drawn up and summarized 8 false myths to dispel about the flu.
1. Influenza is not serious so False vaccination is not necessary
Influenza is not serious if the subject by itself is in good health and if the responsible virus is not too aggressive. However, it can be a risk for people with a compromised immune system as in the case of the elderly or cancer patients. Last year, there were 764 severe cases of confirmed influenza in patients admitted to intensive care, and of these 173 died. Preventable deaths if vaccination coverage is achieved to counteract the spread of the virus.
2. I did the vaccine but I had the flu, so it is useless
False- The flu vaccine is effective to counteract the most common influenza virus strains (two in group A and two in group B for the tetravalent vaccine given this year) that occur with sudden fever accompanied by chills, bone and muscle pain, or head, severe general malaise, sore throat, cold, cough and conjunctivitis. In circulation, especially in winter, there are other parainfluenzas and adenovirus viruses, which cause symptoms very similar to those of influenza, but for which there are no vaccines. The respiratory or intestinal infections they cause are less serious and less prone to complications than those caused by the flu. It should also be remembered that the vaccine takes about 1-2 weeks to be effective and that the virus occurs after 1-2 days of incubation. So if the virus is contracted just before or shortly after the vaccine, the latter loses its effectiveness.
3. If I am vaccinated I cannot take them
Fake flu - The vaccine delivered is tetravalent, so it covers the 4 most common influenza virus strains (two subtypes of influenza A and two subtypes of influenza B). However, the flu is caused by a multitude of strains that can vary from year to year so full coverage cannot be guaranteed. Moreover, as already seen previously, the vaccine does not protect against parainfluenza viruses, which often cause symptoms very similar to those of actual influenza, and gastrointestinal viruses.
4. The flu shot can have serious
False side effects- The flu vaccine is safe and side effects are irrelevant when compared to the risks of an influenza epidemic or the side effects of the most common drugs used to treat it, such as paracetamol. Following the vaccine, swelling and pain in the affected area, fever or general malaise may spontaneously regress within 24/48 hours. In any case, an interview with your doctor especially for those suffering from allergies is essential to avoid any possible complication.
5. I cannot take the flu shot because I'm pregnant
False- Women who are at the beginning of the flu season in the second or third trimester of pregnancy fall into the categories at high risk of complications or influenza-related hospitalizations. Influenza, in particular, high fever, can, in fact, lead to the appearance of contractions of the uterus, which can, in turn, cause a premature birth. The flu vaccine is also strongly recommended during lactation, as it allows to reinforce the immune defenses of the newborn.
6. Children must "be antibodies", the vaccine is useless
False- Generally, a child in good health is able to react well in the case of flu, which is why parents tend not to vaccinate them. However, a child with the flu is a vehicle of contagion for family members (parents, siblings, grandparents) and for the weaker subjects, for example, those suffering from chronic diseases at greater risk of complications in the case of flu. Also not to be underestimated the discomforts that the illness causes, like the loss of school days or work days of the parents.
7. Being in the cold makes the
Fake flu comes- Take children to the park safely, virus transmission is very difficult outdoors: much easier indoors like schools, offices and public transport. Attention above all to the thermal changes that favor the adherence of the viruses.
8. The antibiotic is useful for treating the flu
Fake - The antibiotic is useful against bacterial infections, the flu is caused by a virus. This is why taking antibiotics (even more so without a doctor's control) is not only harmful but also totally useless. The antibiotic can be taken in the case of bacterial infections derived from complications of influenza, but never without medical supervision.
And Toniolo explains that "it is true if we are in good health we often tend to underestimate the influence, because it tends to heal spontaneously in a few days without any particular complications, but the vaccine is not just an act of love for ourselves. , but also and above all towards our loved ones and people for whom the influence could have far more serious consequences".