The expert: “Influenza is a public health problem, especially for the elderly”

“The flu is a serious public health problem. It is an acute pathology which, however, also has a chronic impact, with very important consequences with aspects of progression of pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. In particular, in the elderly population, often affected by comorbidities, it is a very important problem due to the impact it has on hospitalization, disability and mortality from diseases associated with influenza. We have vaccines, very powerful weapons to prevent the flu. “This was stated by Stefania Maggi, CNR research director of the Institute of Neuroscience Section of Padua – Aging, speaking on the occasion of the Media Master Class’ Telling the flu at the time of the pandemic ‘, which was held at the La Sapienza University of Rome. Objective of the meeting: to inform and train the media on the innovation brought by the new flu vaccines, on the impact of influenza today in the current social context and on the risks related to its non-prevention, and to the specific needs of the new post-pandemic setting, Influenza seriously affects the elderly: 65% of hospitalizations related to influenza and 85% of deaths related to this virus – emerged from the meeting – they mainly concern people over 65. Furthermore, 1 in 10 elderly people hospitalized because of the flu then see their independence fail. has more nuanced symptoms: fever may not be present but there is simply a worsening of the overall picture of health. For these reasons, especially for the more fragile categories, it is important not to underestimate any symptoms. Preventing the flu in the elderly, therefore, would allow to reduce their access to the emergency room in the presence of symptoms that are now serious, thus avoiding exposing them to further risks, such as that of contagion with Sars-CoV-2. “In recent decades – recalls Maggi – we have focused on the development of vaccines for the elderly population who must face the problem of decreased resistance to infections and decreased immunogenicity”. On why it is necessary to vaccinate the elderly against flu, especially in this period, the CNR expert is sure: “First of all because the presence of Covid-19 – he maintains – allows the elderly vaccinated against the flu to eventually come into contact with the virus in a more resistant situation”. According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom – it was pointed out during the Master Class – co-infection is associated with twice the risk of hospitalization in intensive care and death compared to Sars-CoV2 infection alone. A survey conducted in Italy in 2020 also found that adults and seniors who had received pneumococcal vaccination in the previous year were less likely to become infected with Sars-CoV-2 than their unvaccinated counterparts. “Since the symptoms of the two infections are similar in a first phase, having the flu vaccine allows a differential diagnosis in the general population, and especially in the more fragile”, concluded Maggi.