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 because of the simultaneous traffic of the three H1N1 and H3N2 and B/Victoria influenza viruses, the heaviest tribute pays over 65. “An excess of death was observed between S52 and S02 all ages combined, and mainly concerned 65 and over. This excess of mortality 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. The health authorities insisted on the need for people aged 65 and more on Wednesday to be vaccinated against flu on Wednesday. The first week of January, 79 % of people hospitalized in intensive care because of the flu were not vaccinated.
Flu, covid-19, pneumococcal infections, VRS and zona in the viewfinder
Concomitant announcements of those of the Academy of Medicine on the Vaccination of Seniors. According to the institution, some infections constitute an increasingly heavy national medical and economic burden in seniors (people aged 65 and over), due to immunossenescence (decline in immune functions). Five infections are particularly targeted, seasonal flu, COVVI-19, pneumococcal or syncytial virus infections (VRS) and zona. Indeed :
- More than 90 % of the deaths attributable to the flu or the COVVI-19 occur after 65 years;
- Pneumococcies and Vrs infections are caused by 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 a flu, a covid-19 or a pneumococcal infection, with a gradual loss of autonomy, represents the sixth cause of disability of the elderly;
- After 70 years, the prevalence of the zona exceeds 10 cases per 1000 people, accompanied by frequent painful complications which alter the quality of life for several months.
Despite the management of vaccines by health insurance and vaccination campaigns, the recommendations are not followed. “Seniors’ vaccination coverage stagnates at low level for flu vaccines (54 %), COVID-19 (30 %), pneumococcus (5 %) and zona (4 %), according to Public Health France. »»
Towards a priority public health objective?
“The National Academy of Medicine recommends that the vaccination of seniors becomes a priority objective of public health, because it increases the working and autonomous lifespan, avoids the serious forms and the complications of the diseases as well as the post-post- Infectious, decreases the economic burden linked to them, maintains group immunity (in family or institutional environment) and makes it possible to fight against antibiotic resistance. ” She insists on the major role that treating physicians should play, without achieving them.
-To achieve much better vaccinations, the institution argues in particular for:
- Make priority the vaccination against target diseases (flu, COVVI-19, infections with pneumococcus and VRS, ZONA);
- Encourage professionals to work so that the vaccination status of elderly patients correspond to the recommendations;
- Encourage mobile vaccination teams to “go towards” the populations far from care.
Finally, it points to a problem which every winter is debated, 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 the caregivers “Is not a taboo question”. A decision could be made on this subject next fall.
Source: Public Health France, National Academy of Medicine, General Directorate of Health
