Why is getting vaccinated an act of love?
Getting vaccinated prevents complications from the flu and COVID-19 and helps keep the health system strong.
The coming winter brings a host of challenges: low temperatures, increased virus circulation, and a healthcare system that must prepare to face them. In this context, flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are reaffirmed as one of the most effective tools for protection, both individually and collectively. This year, the Department of Health is launching the vaccination campaign with a clear message: getting vaccinated is an act of love. This idea means that vaccination is not just a matter of personal health: it's a way to protect the people we love and the environment in which we live. When we choose to get vaccinated, we also contribute to reducing potential complications from these diseases, easing the pressure on healthcare services, and maintaining normal daily life. Every season, the question returns: "Why should I get vaccinated if I'm healthy?" The answer is twofold: because the vaccine protects you and others. Even if you have no pre-existing conditions and are in excellent health, the flu and COVID-19 are still infections that can lead to serious complications, especially when the viruses affect vulnerable individuals. For example, 75% of people admitted to the ICU with the flu were unvaccinated.
Benefits of vaccination
In Catalonia, general vaccination prevents more than 34,000 cases of illness and their health complications each year. Vaccination is the most cost-effective public health measure: it reduces the strain on healthcare services and improves people's quality of life. The flu vaccine is part of the routine vaccination and immunization schedule and is administered every year during the autumn months, before the start of the epidemic season. It is important to get vaccinated every year because the flu and COVID-19 viruses mutate, which necessitates adapting the vaccines each season to combat them. Furthermore, the antibodies our immune system produces against these viruses decrease over time. Those included in the vaccination recommendations are individuals at higher risk of complications from flu and COVID-19 infections, as well as those who can transmit them. The health objectives, aligned with the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO), aim to achieve 75% coverage for people aged 60 and over, those with underlying health conditions, and healthcare workers, as well as 60% coverage for pregnant women and children. The flu is not a cold
The flu is not just a simple cold; it can be a serious illness. Each year, between 290,000 and 650,000 people die from the flu worldwide. Children under 5, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions (such as chronic illnesses) are at higher risk of infection and complications, hospitalization, or death. Furthermore, COVID-19 continues to cause a large number of severe cases annually among the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. It's important to remember that vaccines undergo rigorous safety controls, and decades of experience and millions of doses administered support their use. Vaccination also reduces the use of antibiotics and, consequently, bacterial resistance.
- How do vaccines work?
Vaccines stimulate the immune system, triggering a response similar to that produced by a natural infection, but preventing the disease and its potential complications. When we receive a vaccine, our body identifies an antigen that the immune system recognizes as a threat. This induces the formation of antibodies, which allow us to defend ourselves and identify that antigen in the event of a future infection.
- Why is it necessary to get vaccinated every season?
Influenza and COVID-19 viruses mutate and change; therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) reviews and recommends vaccine composition annually to ensure the most effective protection possible. This recommendation is made after analyzing circulating virus strains and variants. Furthermore, immunity generated by both vaccination and infection wanes over time.
- What impact does vaccination have on the healthcare system?
Vaccination helps reduce complications associated with diseases and, therefore, lessens their impact on the healthcare system during periods of high demand. It decreases the burden on healthcare services and the financial burden, reduces the incidence of outbreaks in healthcare facilities, and minimizes days of absence from work.
Who is recommended to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines?
Flu vaccine:
- People aged 60 or over.
- Children from 6 months to 4 years inclusive.
- People aged 5 to 59 years in risk conditions (a weak immune system, chronic diseases, smokers, etc.).
- Institutionalized people (nursing homes, centers for people with disabilities and other closed institutions).
- Pregnant women or those who have given birth in the last 6 months.
- Children aged 5 to 18 years who are receiving prolonged treatment with acetylsalicylic acid, or who have risk health conditions, have a weak immune system, or reside in closed institutions.
- Staff from public and private health and social care centers and establishments (both health and non-health staff) and students in internships.
- Pharmacy office staff.
- Cohabitants and caregivers of high-risk individuals.
- Essential personnel.
- Teachers.
- People with occupational exposure to animals.
COVID-19 vaccine:
- People aged 60 and over.
- People aged 6 months to 59 years with risk conditions (weak immune system, chronic diseases, etc.)
- Institutionalized people (nursing homes, centers for people with disabilities and other closed institutions).
- Pregnant women.
- Staff of health and social care centers.
- Cohabitants or caregivers of vulnerable people.
- Children
- One third of infections occur in children under four years old, who in turn can infect family members (mothers, fathers, grandparents), teaching staff or other caregivers.
- During the previous season, flu vaccination coverage in children aged 6 to 59 months increased from 28.2% to 35.8%.
- They are only vaccinated against the flu. For children two years and older, an intranasal vaccine is available.
- Pregnant women
- The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended in any trimester of pregnancy.
- Getting vaccinated reduces potential complications in premature birth or cesarean section.
- Vaccination provides protection to pregnant women, newborns, and infants during the first few months through antibodies transmitted via the placenta and, in the case of the flu, also through breastfeeding. Furthermore, the flu vaccine is also recommended during the postpartum period.
- Healthcare personnel
- Flu vaccination is also recommended for all staff at health centers, services and establishments.
- Getting vaccinated is key to preventing the disease and its possible complications.
- Also to reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus to their environment and to the patients they care for.
To get vaccinated, make an appointment at My Health. citasalud.gencat.cat or in your CAP.