The flu vaccination campaign has immunized only 8.8% of the target audience so far. Infectologist Rosana Richtmann reinforced that this number is “very low” and that there is a different perception of risk in the population.
In an interview with CNN Radio, the director of the Immunization Committee of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases highlighted that this first stage, which has as its target audience health professionals and the elderly over 60 years, generally has stronger adherence to the campaign.
“I think that the population’s perception of risk is much more focused on Covid-19 than the flu virus, but if you ask anyone who has had influenza, that of body pain, fever, with the description that a train passed over the person, they would have no doubts about getting vaccinated”, he said.
The infectious disease specialist warns that the flu “remains a universal disease, which circulates throughout the world” and that it has “the power to cause more serious illness, more serious illness, especially in vulnerable groups.”
“It can progress to more severe pneumonia, for example,” he added. The infectious disease specialist recalled that the flu “is a box of surprises”: “We never know the intensity and virulence of the virus that will circulate in 2022, our role is to be protected with the vaccine, which prevents it from leading to more serious conditions.”
In the opinion of Rosana Richtmann, when there are cases, there will be a race for the vaccine, but that this action “has to be preventive.”
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of campaign missing, communication is very bad, a lot of people ask me whether or not they can take the Covid-19 and flu vaccines at the same time, this has been released for a long time”, he reinforced.
Source: CNN Brasil
