The delivery of the vaccine against the seasonal flu is expected at the beginning of next week, it was confirmed to "Vijesti" from the company "Farmalab".
At the end of June, that company signed a contract with the pharmacy establishment "Montefarm" on the procurement of 31.000 doses of vaccine, worth 217.000 euros. Although it was supposed to be delivered by the middle of the month, the vaccine will be in health centers from next week. "Montefarm" previously announced that the delivery of the vaccine would be by Friday, that is, yesterday.
The director of the Podgorica Health Center, Nebojša Kavarić, said yesterday that vaccinations against the seasonal flu will start in all health centers from next week and that they will receive the amounts corresponding to the number of residents.
During the last flu season, 22.700 doses were delivered, and even that amount was not enough for everyone who needed immunization, so already in December another 3.000 doses were ordered. For the sake of comparison, the year before, around 17.700 doses were consumed.
The recommendations of the Institute for Public Health (IJZ) are that the vaccine is best received from October to December. They state that it takes two weeks for the body to develop protective antibodies. Because the flu virus is constantly changing, the vaccination is repeated every year/season with a special type of vaccine made only for that year.
"Although no flu vaccine provides 100 percent protection, its effectiveness and the level of protection it provides is such that it provides an undoubted benefit in preventing both illness and complications and more severe clinical symptoms. "The effectiveness of the vaccine in young healthy people ranges between 70 percent and 90 percent, while it is somewhat lower in the elderly and people with chronic conditions," says the IJZ.
Vaccination, as announced in previous seasons, is recommended for all people older than six months with chronic lung diseases (especially bronchial asthma), heart diseases and kidney diseases, people with metabolic disorders (diabetes), immunosuppressive conditions (including people with HIV/ AIDS) and patients who have been transplanted organs and tissues. The vaccine should also be given to people over 65 years of age, those who live in collective housing, health workers who have direct contact with patients.
People who are allergic to chicken eggs or any other component of the vaccine, children younger than six months, as well as those who have an acute illness and fever should not receive the vaccine.
Flu symptoms start suddenly, usually 18 to 72 hours after the virus enters the body. Patients have elevated body temperature, fever, headache, cough, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, and malaise, while children may also experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B and C, and types A and B are the most common causes of illness.
During the last season, as of March 15, seven people died from the infection caused by the seasonal flu. A year earlier, the number of deaths related to seasonal flu was 31.
Vaccination against seasonal flu began in Serbia on October 1, and in Croatia five days ago. Some European countries, such as Germany and Austria, are already facing a shortage of vaccine, so in some parts of those countries there are not enough doses, even though twice as many were ordered than the previous year, the media write.
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