Influenza : a senior two-feared side effects of the vaccine

Dmyrto_Z/epictura

Published the 10.10.2017 at 08: 00

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Seniors are wary of the flu vaccine. A good part of them is afraid of the serious side effects and doubt its effectiveness, according to the Health Barometer 2016. In a thematic issue of the Bulletin Epidemiological Weekly (BEH), public Health France is back on the reasons that may explain the low vaccination coverage of the elderly in the country. A valuable lesson while the vaccination campaign has just started.

The problem is recurring since 2009 : the rate of protection against influenza is insufficient. Only half of the population at risk is vaccinated. The health authorities, they dream of 75 % immunization. This would avoid about 3,000 flu-related deaths per year.

The fear of adverse effects

Only here, the senior citizens have difficulty to accede to the anti-influenzal vaccination. Without doubt the interest of the gesture vaccine, they are 13 % to renâcler when it comes to the flu. Some of the factors that contribute to this reluctance, according to the analysis of public Health France. For example, a respondent in two considers that the vaccine can cause serious side effects. These are less likely to protect themselves.

Conversely, the seniors convinced of the benefits of the gesture preventive are more likely to use it. To think that the anti-influenzal vaccine is effective, or that the flu is a serious disease, is associated with better coverage.

Source : public Health France

These results are instructive because they point to some misconceptions that are circulating in the population. The side effects of vaccination are most often benign, says the national agency of public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) itself points out : local reactions, fever or muscular pain are the signs most often observed.