A new international study has found that in addition to being able to prevent the flu vaccine and disease complications, it also helps those who have already been infected with corona to reduce the chance of developing a serious and critical illness and get hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
This finding is of national importance, as in recent weeks senior doctors, and even the Corona Cabinet of Experts, have repeatedly warned that the severe shortage of intensive care beds for respiratory Corona patients is exacerbating the increasing mortality in the fourth wave of the epidemic.
A woman receives the vaccine against Corona, in Tel Aviv, Photo: Gideon Markovich
On Wednesday after Sukkot, the four HMOs plan to continue efforts to vaccinate against influenza, in parallel with corona vaccines.
HMOs have ordered about 2.5 million vaccine doses, and so far only about 90,000 of the vaccines ordered have been given.
According to the Ministry of Health guidelines, the vaccine can be obtained from the age of six months or more, with an emphasis on at-risk populations: people aged 50 and over, patients with chronic diseases, children up to the age of 12 and health care workers.
Potential protective effect
The study was conducted by four researchers from the Miller University School of Medicine in Miami, and examined the information in about 75,000 digital medical files of patients from around the world, mainly from the US and also from the UK, Italy, Germany, Singapore and Israel. Who were not vaccinated against influenza at all, and those who were vaccinated against influenza from six months to two weeks before being diagnosed with coronary heart disease.
Patients in the study were sampled according to categories of age, gender and medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
The researchers examined the development of 15 major corona major symptoms within 30, 60, and 120 days from the time patients were diagnosed with the blue sample.
Queue for vaccinations in Tel Aviv (those photographed have nothing to do with the news), Photo: Yehoshua Yosef
According to the publication of the results of the study, a direct statistical relationship was found between the risk of developing severe corona symptoms and non-vaccination against influenza.
The study also found that those who were not vaccinated against the flu were 40% more likely to get hospitalized and intensive care, and twice as likely because of the corona to develop stroke, venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
The researchers concluded that there is a potential protective effect of influenza vaccines for those who become infected with corona, which could also benefit populations without available access to corona vaccines.
In Israel, the people who cannot be vaccinated against Corona are children up to the age of 12, and vaccinated against vaccines for health reasons.
Dr. Alex Guri, the infection counselor for the children's division at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, told Israel Today that "for the purpose of the study, the researchers were given access to a database of almost 75,000 patients, of whom we built two follow-ups, ie research groups of about 38,000 "People in the corona. In one group, the patients received the flu vaccine within a period of six months before the corona disease, and in the second group - they did not receive the flu vaccine."
Dr. Guri noted: “The study showed that corona patients who received the flu vaccine in the six months prior to their illness had fewer complications of sepsis, emergency room referrals, deep vein thrombosis events and strokes.
Corona patients who were vaccinated against influenza were also less hospitalized in intensive care units.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the study did not find that the flu vaccine protects against the ultimate chance of coronary death.
Dr. Alex Guri, Infection Counselor for the Children's Division at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, Photo: Gideon Markovich
"The findings of the study are important, since there have been no serious cases of influenza in Israel in the last two years. "The flu is because we fear that in the two years that the population has been less vaccinated against the virus, there could be a reality of a severe flu outbreak, a more violent and deadly outbreak.
Dr. Doron Dushnitzky, a pediatrician and director of the Corona Convalescent Department at the National Medical Division, said following the study's findings that "it is advisable to get vaccinated against the flu, because of the possibility that after a year of remission it may return, and possibly even more severely.
Regarding the study that showed an advantage in corona morbidity for flu vaccines, there is indeed an explanation that the flu vaccine increases the potency of the innate vaccine, thus achieving an increase in immune protection.
Of course, these things do not diminish the need and recommendation to get vaccinated against Corona as required. "
"Influence may return"
According to Dr. David Mosinson, vice president of medicine at United, "This is a retrospective study, that is, a study that retrospectively examines the data, and not one that tracks vaccines from the moment of vaccination, and does show a link between influenza vaccination and reduction in coronary complications. "For causality, and it is important to emphasize that neither a reduction in mortality nor a reduction in infection in the corona has been demonstrated. Regardless of the article, it is very important to get vaccinated against the flu."
A young man receives the vaccine against Corona, Photo: Gideon Markowitz
Meanwhile, a Meuhedet survey conducted in August this year shows that 84% of those aged 65 and over and 83% of chronic patients are sure to be vaccinated.
Mali Kusha, head nurse at the fund and director of the nursing department, emphasizes: "The flu may return this year, and it may start earlier than usual. Therefore, getting vaccinated against the flu will prevent cross-disease."
Participated in the preparation of the article: Assaf Golan