Influenza is a respiratory illness caused by infection with the influenza virus. And while in most cases the patient suffering from influenza experiences a favorable outcome, certain risk groups may suffer from complications such as pneumonia. “Vaccination is the best way to avoid complications and hospitalizations,” underlines the FAMHP (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products).
Like every year, the vaccination campaign will be launched in mid-October, with a new adapted vaccine, the flu virus changing each year. In total, approximately 2.7 million flu vaccines will be available for the 2024-2025 season.
Highly recommended for people at risk, this vaccination can be done at your general practitioner, but also at your pharmacist since last year. A possibility which has boosted the vaccination rate: last year, 20% of vaccines were administered in pharmacies.
But the rate of people at risk vaccinated in Belgium (50.7% of seniors and 43.4% of chronically ill people) remains far too low.
However, we recommend this flu vaccine to people aged 65 and over, to patients over 6 months old with an underlying chronic condition, of pulmonary origin (including severe asthma), cardiac (except hypertension ), hepatic, renal, metabolic (including diabetes), neuromuscular or with immune disorders, people suffering from obesity with a BMI greater than or equal to 40, pregnant women and children from 6 months to 18 years under treatment with long-term aspirin. Health sector workers are also invited to be vaccinated, as are people living under the same roof as a person at risk, or a baby under 6 months old whose mother has not been vaccinated during pregnancy…
The ideal time to do so is from October 15 to 31. Please note that it is possible to get the covid vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccine, for those affected.
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