Faced with the intensity of the flu epidemic, the health authorities announced on Wednesday January 22 the extension of the vaccination campaign until February 28. If all age groups are affected by the disease, partly due to the simultaneous circulation of the three influenza viruses H1N1 and H3N2 and B/Victoria, it is those over 65 who pay the heaviest price. “An excess of deaths was observed between S52 and S02 for all ages, and mainly concerned those aged 65 and over. This excess mortality from all causes is concomitant with the very high level of activity observed in the hospital in connection with the flu. noted Public Health France in its weekly bulletin. As for hospitalizations, 67% of them concerned patients aged 65 and over. Health authorities insisted Wednesday on the need for people aged 65 and over to be vaccinated against the flu. The first week of January, 79% of people hospitalized in intensive care because of the flu were not vaccinated.
Influenza, Covid-19, pneumococcal infections, RSV and shingles in the viewfinder
Concomitant announcements with those of the Academy of Medicine on the vaccination of seniors. According to the institution, certain infections constitute an increasingly heavy national medical and economic burden among seniors (people aged 65 and over), due to immunosenescence (decline of immune functions). Five infections are particularly targeted: seasonal flu, Covid-19, pneumococcal or syncytial virus (RSV) infections and shingles. Indeed :
- more than 90% of deaths attributable to influenza or Covid-19 occur after age 65;
- pneumococcal disease and RSV infections cause high morbidity and mortality in this age group;
- the risk of cardiovascular accidents is significantly increased in the weeks following a respiratory infection;
- the functional decline observed after influenza, Covid-19 or pneumococcal infection, with progressive loss of autonomy, represents the sixth cause of disability among elderly people;
- after age 70, the prevalence of shingles exceeds 10 cases per 1000 people, accompanied by frequent painful complications that impair quality of life for several months.
Despite the coverage of vaccines by Health Insurance and vaccination campaigns, the recommendations appear to be poorly followed. “Vaccination coverage for seniors is stagnating at a low level for vaccines against influenza (54%), Covid-19 (30%), pneumococcus (5%) and shingles (4%), according to Santé Publique France. »
Towards a priority public health objective?
“The National Academy of Medicine recommends that vaccination of seniors becomes a priority public health objective, because it increases the length of active and independent life, avoids serious forms and complications of target diseases as well as post-mortem functional decline. infectious, reduces the economic burden linked to them, maintains group immunity (in a family or institutional environment) and makes it possible to fight against antibiotic resistance. She insists on the major role that attending physicians should play, without succeeding.
-To achieve much better vaccination rates, the institution advocates in particular for:
- make vaccination against target diseases a priority (flu, Covid-19, pneumococcal and RSV infections, shingles);
- encourage professionals to work to ensure that the vaccination status of elderly patients corresponds to the recommendations;
- encourage mobile vaccination teams to “go towards” populations far from care.
Finally, she points out a problem which is debated every winter, the low level of vaccination of health professionals and people working with the elderly. On this subject, the Minister of Health Yannick Neuder declared on January 17 on the set of Franceinfo that the vaccination of caregivers “is not a taboo question”. A decision could be made on this subject next fall.
Source: Public Health France, National Academy of Medicine, Directorate General of Health
