In an interview with CNN Radio, the infectologist and director of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations, Renato Kfouri, stated that the increase in cases of flu that affects Brazilian capitals left a lesson on vaccines.
“Whoever didn’t take it should have taken it. We shouldn’t wait for an epidemic to look for the vaccine, it’s been available for free since April, May, we had low coverage, there’s more vaccine and we shouldn’t have doses now”, he said.
According to him, “the immunizing agent is not to put out fires, but to prevent the entry and circulation of the virus, preventing epidemics.”
Kfouri stressed that the flu vaccine has to be taken every year, as it is adapted annually according to new variants of the virus.
“It is designed to reach countries where winter is in June and July in April, to be applied in the season when the virus circulates more intensely. This year we have an epidemic out of the usual time”, he explained.
The duration of immunity, according to Kfouri, depends on the person. In elderly people, it usually lasts, on average, 6 months. Healthy adults usually have protection between 8 and 10 months.
The infectologist also recalled that children are a risk group for the flu and must be immunized.
Today, there is no necessary interval for the Covid-19 and flu vaccines to be applied.
Reference: CNN Brasil
