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Every year 20 percent. children and 5 percent. adults get the flu. The importance of the disease is determined by the fact that it causes serious complications or even death. According to data from the Center for Communicable Diseases and AIDS, the number of people suffering from influenza has been growing in Lithuania over the past five years.
Incidence of the influenza curve
Peak – early spring
During the 2019-2020 flu season, most cases were recorded in Vilnius in the 11th week of 2020 in 2018-2019. the peak of morbidity was a little earlier, in 2019. Week 5.
Incidence of the influenza curve
The most effective tool are vaccines.
Office specialists point out that the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes vaccines as the most effective means of preventing influenza, which protects not only against influenza, but also from its complications. When viruses mutate, WHO constantly monitors their changes and predicts the most common strains of the virus each year and recommends the antigenic composition of the vaccine for the upcoming influenza season.
Health professionals recommend vaccination before the start of the flu season, but even in January-February, vaccination is not too late, as the flu season generally lasts until May.
In Lithuania, the vaccine can be used by all people older than 6 months, and the following risk groups are vaccinated with state funds:
- People aged 65 or over;
- pregnant women;
- people living in nursing and social care institutions;
- people with chronic cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases, chronic diseases related to immune mechanisms, neoplasms;
- health workers.
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