Will it be necessary to get vaccinated against the flu in the fall, and if so, how to properly combine the two vaccinations? Can they be fired if a person has not yet been vaccinated, and how to properly formalize a medical exemption from it? “RG” - The Week continues to publish answers to the most pressing questions about COVID-19 and vaccination.
In late summer - early autumn, flu vaccination is carried out annually - in the northern territories it starts earlier, in the south of the country - later. Last year in Moscow, for example, the vaccination campaign started on September 1. This year, many who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine will have to get both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Many people are concerned about how to properly combine these two vaccinations.
Rospotrebnadzor clarifies that flu vaccination against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic is very important: a combination of two infections, if a person becomes infected with both, is a serious health risk. In the coming epidemic season, it is planned to vaccinate 60% of the country's population and 75% of people at risk, which, along with pensioners, includes workers of zoos, poultry farms and pig farms, as well as owners of poultry and livestock.
The main parameters of the influenza vaccination campaign in the fall of 2021 are presented in the draft resolution of Rospotrebnadzor, published on the federal portal of draft regulatory legal acts. As for the timing of the influenza vaccination, it is given no less than a month after the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Why it is important to get vaccinated against the flu and why you need to pause between vaccinations, Natalya Pshenichnaya, Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, told RG.
“Last year, the incidence of influenza was contained thanks to mass vaccination against this infection. Many were afraid of the overlap of two infections at once - influenza and coronavirus, which was fraught with serious complications. Therefore, all necessary measures were taken, a set of preventive and anti-epidemic measures were carried out, and flu vaccination coverage amounted to 59% of the Russian population, and a seasonal flu epidemic did not occur,” she explained.
In order for the upcoming season to avoid a surge in influenza incidence, at least 60 percent of the population must be vaccinated, the expert emphasized. It should be kept in mind that you can get vaccinated against influenza no earlier than a month after completing the full course of vaccination against coronavirus. The gap is necessary so that the immune system has time to develop antibodies to the pathogen.
“There is not much time left before the autumn rise in incidence, given that, for example, the introduction of a two-component coronavirus vaccine requires a month and a half. Therefore, it is better not to delay vaccination,” added Pshenichnaya.
How is a medical exemption from vaccination issued?
This issue is now of concern to many people whose occupations are included in the list of professions for which in some regions of Russia a decision has been made on mandatory vaccination against COVID-19. Without vaccination, you may be suspended from work. But what to do and what document to show to the employer if vaccination is contraindicated?
“Indeed, the vaccine is contraindicated for some people. For example, if a person has been diagnosed with hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine or a vaccine containing similar components, if there is a history of severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema), explained Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko. — If there are acute infectious and non-infectious diseases, exacerbation of chronic diseases, vaccination is carried out two to four weeks after recovery or remission. The procedure for obtaining a medical exemption from vaccination is as follows: the presence of medical contraindications is determined by the attending physician or a doctor of the specialty whose competence determines the contraindications against vaccination.”
Contraindications can be either permanent or temporary. The decision to issue a certificate is made by the doctors of the organization where the patient is being observed for the disease that caused the withdrawal.
“If it is determined that the patient has temporary contraindications to vaccination, then a certificate is issued for up to 30 days, followed by consultation with the specialist who issued the certificate,” the head of the Ministry of Health emphasized.
Contraindications to vaccination of children and adults
You can get a flu shot in most cases. Exceptions are cases of allergic reactions to previous vaccinations, the presence of a high temperature at the time of vaccination, and cases of severe complications after previous vaccinations.
People often ask, is it possible to get a flu shot if you are allergic to chicken protein? Although modern flu vaccines are highly purified, they may still contain traces of chicken protein (since all vaccines are based on chicken eggs). As a result, if you are allergic to chicken protein after receiving a flu vaccine, manufacturers do not rule out the possibility of an allergic reaction.
Another common question is: can children get a flu vaccine?
Yes, vaccinating children against the flu, especially from 6 months to 3 years, is very welcome, because at this age the flu most often causes various complications. Well, children under 6 months cannot be vaccinated!
Can an employee be fired for not being vaccinated against COVID-19?
No, dismissal if an employee refuses vaccination is not provided for by law. But, as explained in Rostrud, the Labor Code allows you to remove an employee from performing duties. That is, the person is not allowed to enter the workplace and is not paid wages during this time.
In paragraph 8 of part 1 of Article 76 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, it is clarified that removal is possible not only in cases provided for by the Labor Code and federal laws, but also by other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation.
One of these cases is a violation of the provisions of Federal Law N 157-FZ “On Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases.” This law states that the absence of preventive vaccinations entails refusal to hire or removal of citizens from work, the performance of which is associated with a high risk of contracting infectious diseases. That is, it is necessary to get vaccinated in cases where there is a high risk of the disease and its further spread, this is the situation in which we all remain.
If there is a threat of the emergence and spread of dangerous infectious diseases, chief state sanitary doctors in the regions can issue decisions on preventive vaccinations of citizens or certain groups of citizens for epidemic indications (this is provided for in Article 51 of Federal Law No. 52-FZ “On the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of the Population”). . Such powers are confirmed by paragraph 2 of Article 10 of Federal Law No. 157-FZ “On Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases” and Order of the Ministry of Health No. 125n “On approval of the national calendar of preventive vaccinations and the calendar of preventive vaccinations for epidemic indications.”
For epidemic reasons, coronavirus vaccination was included in the national calendar of preventive vaccinations. And, if the chief sanitary doctor of the region makes a decision to vaccinate any groups or categories of citizens, workers in certain industries, vaccination becomes mandatory for them (with the exception of people who have contraindications and have been issued a medical exemption). The decision on mandatory vaccination based on epidemic indicators is formalized by an act of the chief sanitary doctor of the region. It specifies a list of groups and professions for which vaccination becomes mandatory. Such resolutions have already been adopted in more than 10 regions of the country. The percentage of workers who must be vaccinated is also set by the chief sanitary doctor in a particular region.
Flu vaccination: pros and cons
FLU
is an acute viral disease of the upper respiratory tract caused by the influenza virus. Influenza viruses infect the epithelium of the upper respiratory tract (some strains of influenza virus infect the intestinal epithelium).
The clinical picture is manifested by fever with an increase in body temperature to febrile levels (up to 40 degrees C), symptoms of intoxication, chills, headache, and general weakness. Sometimes myalgia, arthralgia, convulsions, and impaired consciousness may occur. The disease occurs acutely, the severity of uncomplicated influenza is determined by the severity of the intoxication syndrome. The initial stage of influenza may occur only in the form of fever, or may be accompanied by severe intoxication with central vomiting, convulsions and loss of consciousness. Soon after the development of symptoms of intoxication, catarrhal phenomena occur, which may not be expressed. Flu symptoms begin to subside 5-7 days after the onset of the disease.
However, the most dangerous thing about influenza is its complications, which can lead to death or disability of the patient. Influenza can become complicated both in the early period at the peak of fever and in a later period. Complications more often develop in older people and children, as well as in people who are weakened due to malnutrition or chronic diseases.
When a bacterial infection is attached, most often streptococcal and staphylococcal, the patient develops pneumonia. These pneumonias cause destruction (destruction) of lung tissue and may be accompanied by pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary edema and lead to infectious-toxic shock. After pneumonia, bronchiectasis and pneumosclerosis develop, which leads to pulmonary failure.
Extrapulmonary complications often include otitis, sinusitis, myositis, including myositis of the heart muscle, nephritis, and pericarditis. Cardiac complications explain the increase in the number of myocardial infarctions and acute heart failure during the influenza epidemic period.
With the onset of the cold season, the incidence of acute respiratory viral diseases, including influenza, increases significantly. The flu spreads especially quickly among children and work groups, often acquiring the character of an epidemic. And the only reliable way of prevention is vaccination. Vaccination (shot) against influenza will allow you to avoid this disease, which is fraught with severe complications, or suffer from it in a milder form.
Anti-vaxxers have two arguments:
1. The virus mutates quickly and there is no guarantee that the supplied vaccine will work against the virus that is active this year.
Indeed, the strain of the influenza virus changes every year. However, scientists were able to calculate the laws by which these changes occur and predict them. In addition, each new strain retains the basic properties of the previous one. So it is quite possible to create a vaccine and protect against the new influenza virus. It is also important that vaccination against influenza also creates nonspecific immunity, protecting the body from the effects of other viruses that cause acute respiratory viral diseases.
2. There may be complications from vaccination.
Currently, especially if live vaccines are not used, there are practically no complications after a correctly administered influenza vaccination. Correctly – this means a high-quality vaccine, correctly transported and delivered, taking into account contraindications and individual intolerances.
Who needs to get vaccinated against influenza?
- children, especially children attending organized children's groups (kindergartens and schools);
- To old people;
- people with chronic diseases of internal organs and the endocrine system;
- adults who come into contact with a large number of people: students, educators, teachers, doctors and nurses, etc.
The FAMILY CLINIC provides flu vaccinations with high-quality vaccines. We strictly monitor the correct transportation of the vaccine in compliance with cold chain conditions. Before administering the vaccine, our general practitioners and pediatricians examine patients. By getting vaccinated at the FAMILY CLINIC, you can be sure of safe and effective protection against the flu during the epidemic season.
Should COVID-19 Vaccinated People Get a Flu Shot?
“Experience shows that this format is best suited for residents of the capital,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development Anastasia Rakova. — In total, we have opened 45 points, they will work daily. You can get a flu shot in all city clinics.”
In accordance with the resolution of Rospotrebnadzor, in Moscow, as well as throughout the country, it is planned to vaccinate at least 60 percent of the population against influenza, and in risk groups, which primarily include frequently ill people, as well as children and elderly citizens, at least 75 percent. You can often hear the question, why does such a vaccination need to be done every year? The fact is that in terms of its social significance, influenza is one of the first places among human infectious diseases. It is extremely contagious, spreads quickly and can lead to very serious complications, such as meningitis, encephalitis, and exacerbation of various chronic diseases. In addition, the flu often mutates. “Only vaccination can help protect against it,” Andrei Tyazhelnikov, chief freelance specialist in primary health care for adults at the Moscow Department of Health, told RG. “Every year, the World Health Organization identifies which strains pose the greatest danger to the population in the upcoming epidemic season, predicts the scale of their spread and recommends vaccines that can be used to protect themselves most effectively.”
Such vaccines, ours, domestic ones, exist in Russia, Andrei Tyazhelnikov emphasized, they have been tested in practice and numerous studies for years, all have passed mandatory state registration, have a certificate of conformity and are completely safe. All of them are inactivated, that is, they do not contain a live virus and cannot lead to disease. All of them are available to Moscow doctors. Thanks to annual large-scale vaccination, Moscow has been able to avoid a flu epidemic for several years now.
Doctors recommend getting vaccinated against flu 30 days after vaccination against COVID-19
Many Muscovites are interested in: do they need to be vaccinated against the flu if they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, which has not yet disappeared from the capital? In answering this question, experts agree that such a vaccination is necessary, since each vaccine works to produce antibodies to a specific virus. Seasonal diseases, such as influenza and ARVI, unfortunately, remain with us during a pandemic. But doctors currently recommend getting vaccinated against the flu no earlier than 30 days after vaccination against coronavirus infection. They give the same advice to people who have been seriously ill with COVID-19.
Any person over 18 years of age can be vaccinated at the mobile point; you don’t even need to present a compulsory medical insurance policy; you just need to have your passport with you and provide written consent on the spot. Before vaccination, a medical examination is carried out, the doctor determines possible contraindications, and after vaccination issues a certificate and oral recommendations. The whole procedure takes 10-15 minutes. Vaccination of pregnant women is available in clinics. Residents under 18 years of age can be vaccinated in clinics, kindergartens, schools and colleges.
Mobile points will operate daily from 08:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, from 09:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, from 09:00 to 16:00 on Sundays. You can find out the location and opening hours of vaccination points, as well as other detailed information about flu vaccination, on the website of the Moscow Department of Health.
