influenza must remain in the public health conversation as covid-19 moves toward endemic
while covid-19 vaccination has become a global priority...
4 minute read
this story is sponsored by
seqirus canada inc.
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
while covid-19 vaccination has become a global priority, vaccinations against other preventable illnesses, including influenza, have been overlooked by some. during the pandemic, influenza infection rates were low and there wasn’t much mention of the flu in the media, so it was easy to dismiss its seriousness. but as canada transitions to combating covid-19 as an endemic public health concern, experts urge canadians to remain diligent in immunizing against influenza. “obviously covid has been an enormous burden to public health but it’s important to remind people that influenza is also an enormous burden, particularly for those individuals who are very young or very old or who are at high risk of complications of influenza,” says dr. mark loeb, an infectious disease physician and a professor in the department of pathology and molecular medicine at mcmaster university. “as such, it’s important that canadians keep up with their flu vaccines as the covid pandemic continues to evolve.”
there’s also the risk of misidentifying influenza and catching a dual infection. “while people may think they can recognize that they have covid or influenza, it’s not that simple,” says bertrand roy, ph.d., country head, medical affairs, canada at seqirus, a global leader in influenza protection. “the symptoms are similar, and there is a risk of dual infection of both covid and influenza – so it’s still essential to be protected against both.”
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with restrictions relaxing, health experts expect to begin seeing a direct correlation to increasing cases of influenza. further, dr. loeb points out that the decreased circulation of influenza over the previous two seasons may increase the danger to vulnerable canadians as influenza makes its way back into the picture.
“the low exposure could set us back because it potentially means increased susceptibility to infection,” he says.
despite this, reports show that not all canadian seniors are vaccinated against preventable diseases like seasonal influenza. while approximately 94 per cent of canadians aged 60 or more received two doses of the covid-19 vaccine in 2020/21, roughly only 70 per cent received a flu vaccination. in 2020/21, only 41 per cent of canadians aged 18 to 64 years with chronic medical conditions received the flu shot.
for older adults, whose natural waning of immunity might not mount an effective response, enhanced influenza vaccines offer the most benefits. “enhanced influenza vaccines are either high-dose vaccines or adjuvanted vaccines,” explains dr. loeb. “the high dose contains a greater amount of the antigen and helps stimulate the immune system. adjuvanted vaccines contain an adjuvant, which is a molecule that helps stimulate the immune system to produce a stronger response.”
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co-administration of covid-19 and influenza vaccines can help protect against both diseases. “the national advisory committee on immunization (naci) indicates that for people 12 years of age and older, seasonal influenza vaccines may be given at the same time as covid-19 vaccines,” says bertrand roy. “so, we can administer both vaccines together for people aged 12 and up, but we have to make sure that they’re able to practically do this as well.”
the practicality question centres on pharmacists, who are responsible for administering the majority of covid-19 and influenza vaccines.while the co-administration of vaccines can help provide immunizations to canadians in a timely, cost-effective way, the process must be streamlined.
“there’s a bit of a disconnect between naci’s co-administration guidance and how it can be operationalized into the patient and vaccine pathways,” says ajit johal, a vancouver-based pharmacist. he cites numerous roadblocks that sometimes stand in the way of people receiving both vaccinations together. these include keeping the influenza vaccine top of mind for both individuals and pharmacists and how public and private programs will reimburse pharmacists for comprehensive vaccine “assessments,” which johal says should always be done before administering multiple vaccinations in a single visit. pharmacists also must balance the time-consuming, meticulous storage, handling, and preparation of covid-19 vaccines with other vaccine administrations.
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“the biggest issue, though, is that pharmacists don’t want to make mistakes, and if we’re going to be doing multiple vaccinations, the issue comes in where errors could happen,” says johal, explaining that if people aren’t clear on which vaccination they’re looking to get, they may end up getting the wrong one. “we really need to be proactive and to focus on assessment. we need to ask people what immunizations they’ve had before giving any vaccinations.”
as canadians and pharmacists work to enable a smooth workflow for co-administration, a key takeaway remains: influenza isn’t going anywhere, and experts expect to see cases increase as covid-19 restrictions ease up. seniors and their caregivers, parents of young children, and those with chronic diseases should pay particular attention and ensure influenza prevention remains a top ongoing priority.
vaccination does not provide 100% protection. side effects and allergic reactions may occur.
this story was created by content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of seqirus canada inc.
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