Health experts reveal why you should get the flu vaccine every year

The incidence of influenza in Lithuania is slowly increasing. According to the National Public Health Centre (NPHC), the highest incidence of influenza, acute upper respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) and COVID-19 disease is recorded in Vilnius County. Health experts urge people to get vaccinated against influenza, which can lead to serious complications even in the young and able-bodied, according to a press release from the Idea Prima communication agency.

According to the NVSC, about 100 000 people get influenza every year in Lithuania, compared to half a billion people worldwide. Complications of influenza exacerbate chronic diseases, and it can also lead to pneumonia, myocardial infarction or even heart transplantation. Such complications claim between 200,000 and one million lives a year worldwide. In Lithuania, too, it is inevitable: last season, the country recorded a record number of deaths in recent years, with 27 people dying from influenza, 2 of them school children.

Why is the flu vaccine the most effective protection?

Urtė Dumbliauskaitė, a family doctor at the Rezus Clinic, says that she often gets questions about flu vaccines from young people of working age.

"The most common questions are: am I exercising, am I boosting my immunity, is it really necessary and worth it to get vaccinated, will I really not get sick if I get vaccinated? In answering these questions, I stress that the flu vaccine is very important at any age. By getting vaccinated, we not only protect ourselves against illness and the associated costs of unemployment and treatment, but also contribute to the overall health of society. Vaccination reduces morbidity and the spread of influenza, thus avoiding severe forms of influenza, hospitalisation and bacterial complications for which antibiotics are prescribed. This is particularly important because by reducing antibiotic use, we are helping to reduce antimicrobial resistance," says family doctor U. Dumbliauskaitė.
She stresses that no one has yet developed a better tool to fight flu than vaccination.

"It is important to know and understand how vaccines are developed. Influenza viruses are divided into types A, B and C, with the first two being the most dangerous. The World Health Organisation (WHO) keeps track of virus changes and predicts which type of virus is most likely to be present in a given year. Vaccines are developed in line with their recommendations. When the composition of the vaccines is a good match to the type of influenza prevalent in that year, the vaccine is 70 to 90 per cent effective. In any case, this is the best protection against both the more severe cases of flu and its complications," says the doctor.
According to the family doctor at the Rezus clinic, it is necessary to be vaccinated every year, as the vaccine is effective for an average of twelve months. However, six months after the vaccine, the number of antibodies in the body has already been reduced by about twice.

According to family doctor U. Dumbliauskaitė, there are still some people who think that vaccines can cause mild flu, but this is a myth - vaccines do not contain the live flu virus.

"For some people, the puncture site may be red or even a little sore, but this is a completely normal reaction that goes away within a couple of days. This reaction shows that the body is just reacting to the vaccine and preparing to protect itself against the disease. On the other hand, it is not only influenza viruses that spread during the cold season - it is often the common cold that can be mistaken for influenza. The latter can cause pneumonia, sinusitis, otitis media and even blood infections in more complicated cases. Even worse complications are inflammations of the brain or heart muscle. To avoid them, vaccination should be given every year. Especially as the vaccination not only protects you from possible complications, but also helps you to take care of your loved ones without becoming a carrier of the virus," says U. Dumbliauskaitė.

It is interesting to note that according to experts, flu vaccination reduces the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction, especially in older people.