The Flu Comes Round Every Year, but it is Always Different

The flu season is at its height, with the data indicating that the epidemic curve is reaching its peak. The current high level of activity will last for another two weeks, more or less, and then—with any luck—the curve will start to decline, returning to non-epidemic levels over the following 4 to 6 weeks.

Like almost every year, the flu this year is the same, but different. In southern Europe (including Spain), 80% of the strains of the virus are type B. In northern Europe, the predominant strains to date have been type A (H1N1) viruses (the subtype responsible for the 2009 pandemic), while the most common strains in the United States of America have been influenza A (H3N2) viruses.

The 2012-2013 annual vaccine includes these three strains. While the influenza vaccine is, unfortunately, not a perfect tool, it is still the best protection we have against the influenza virus; and protection is especially important for people in groups at risk of developing major complications. In high-risk groups, the protection provided by the vaccine may be as low as 50% to 60%; among young, healthy people, this figure may rise to between 80% and 90%. Obviously, this is far from perfect efficacy, and we also have to repeat the vaccination every year because the protection diminishes over time and the virus strains in circulation change every season.

In Spain, routine flu vaccination is recommended only for high-risk groups (approximately 20% of the population). The remaining 80% of the population are only vaccinated if they specifically request the procedure. In the United States, however, vaccination against influenza is recommended for the entire population.

The safety of the influenza vaccine has been demonstrated by hundreds of scientific studies. The most common side effects are minor and localized (the typical pain at the injection site and maybe a day of relative fatigue or mild fever).

We need better vaccines. We need vaccines that are more effective and easier to manufacture and administer. We need vaccines that offer more long-standing protection against different influenza viruses. While the universal influenza vaccine is still a distant goal, we need to keep investigating the options.

In the meantime, this year’s flu epidemic will run its course, resulting in lots of children with fever and cough, lots of young adults with similar symptoms, and some older people or people with risk factors who will unfortunately suffer the most severe forms of influenza and may develop major complications. Overworked emergency departments, overflowing primary care centres, and many people missing from the workplace. Runny noses all round ...

It's the flu. And although it seems like a normal and inevitable part of life, surely we can all make a greater effort every year and do more to ensure that it does have to be so bad. We need to take influenza seriously and always use the protective measures available—imperfect as they may be. Let’s vaccinate all those in the high-risk groups and promote hygiene across the board!