HMOs warn: "Corona and influenza may be a combination" Israel today

Immediately after Rosh Hashanah, the HMOs began to prepare for the flu season.

This year, as in the previous year, the vaccination campaign is being conducted in parallel with the fight to eradicate the corona virus.

The task will be to vaccinate the populations at risk in order to provide them with protection against influenza and its complications, and to gradually expand to the rest of the public.

The funds invited the target populations - aged 65 and over, chronically ill, pregnant women and children up to the age of 12 - to be vaccinated in advance.

Vaccines are given by injection or spray (plumist) - an option offered only to 49-2 year olds.

According to Dr. Batsheva Gottesman, an infectious disease specialist and infectious disease consultant at Clalit, “We are entering the winter period in the midst of a fourth wave, under the much more contagious delta variant.

The daily verified number is high, the economy is operating, the education system has opened as a series and the tourism industry is operating again - all of these are reasonable conditions for the spread of influenza in Israel and around the world.

In view of this situation, the recommendation is to get vaccinated against the flu in order to prevent the cross-disease of the flu and corona, and also to prevent burdens on the health system. "

Meuhedet said that "at the moment the response to the flu vaccine is very low, and the expectation is that immediately after the holidays the response to the vaccine will increase and people will understand that this year the flu vaccine is more important than ever, among other things.

The head of Leumit's medical division, Prof. Shlomo Winker, said: "The fund has engraved on its banner the promotion of the health of its insureds, and there is no doubt that the recruitment of all employees to the task will lead to a significant increase in vaccinators among our customers, which will allow them a healthier winter."

According to the Ministry of Health, a vaccine against corona can also be given in parallel with the flu vaccine, with the priority being to administer the vaccines in different limbs.

Influenza virus is characterized by its ability to change annually.

Because every year the virus looks different, the vaccine also varies accordingly.

Therefore, it is recommended to be re-vaccinated every year.

The vaccine is manufactured on the basis of a World Health Organization forecast, which determines which strains are expected in that year, and in most cases this forecast is consistent and the vaccine protects against existing strains in that year.