Medical societies strengthen the importance and safety of flu vaccination – The Portugal News

Based on scientific evidence, six Portuguese medical societies prepared a consensus document that highlights best practices to promote increased vaccination in certain groups, such as people between 60 and 65 years old, people with comorbidities, pregnant women, and health professionals.

Influenza is one of the main causes of mortality worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates between three and five million cases of serious illness annually, with a special incidence on the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly, children under five years of age, pregnant women, and chronically ill people. The flu can result in serious health complications, leading to hospitalisations.

Annual vaccination is considered the most effective measure to prevent influenza and its complications. In this consensus, health professionals from different specialties also refer to the implications that influenza virus infection has on patients with different comorbidities, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (respiratory virus infections are the main cause of exacerbations in this disease), heart disease (causes an increased risk of myocardial infarction), and diabetes (diabetic patients have higher rates of hospitalisation, emergency room admission, and flu-related deaths).

Therefore, considering all the scientific evidence collected, medical societies present the following recommendations and conclusions:

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Medical societies strengthen the importance and safety of flu vaccination - The Portugal News