The virologist pointed out the benefits of flu vaccination

Svetlana Protasova, PhD in virology, told whether vaccination can protect against influenza.

In conversation with the agency RuNews24.Ru On Monday, October 13, the specialist said that the flu virus always comes in an unexpected form. According to her, by 2020, 25 thousand strains of the influenza virus have been identified worldwide, and by 2025 there are definitely more than 25 thousand of them.

The virologist explained that the flu virus is constantly and very rapidly mutating, just like the coronavirus. She noted that when antibodies appear, for example after vaccination, the virus perceives this as a signal to change its surface antigens — hemagglutinin and neuraminidase — in order to survive. He does this faster than new vaccines can be produced, so the vaccine and real strains practically do not match. The tactics of the virus in these changes are not fully understood.

The expert added that the virus seems to have knowledge that humans do not have, so it always manifests itself in an unexpected form. Some scientists consider his victory impossible, but humans have T-cell immunity, which can protect against all strains throughout life.

Flu vaccination consists of administering a vaccine with weakened or inactivated virus strains. It stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that help recognize and neutralize the infection when infected.

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Earlier on October 13, the press service of the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region reported that more than 50,000 people had already received the flu vaccine at mobile vaccination points in the Moscow region. In order to get vaccinated, you must have a passport and an MHI policy with you, the Moscow City News agency reports. A specialist will conduct an examination to identify possible contraindications, and then vaccinate, clarifies 360.ru .

In September, Honored Doctor of Russia, epidemiologist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education Gennady Onishchenko said that 70 million people should be vaccinated against influenza by the end of October. According to him, first of all, vaccinations are needed for children, teachers, doctors and contact professions, NSN notes.

At the same time, a study of the SuperJob online platform showed that many Russian enterprises carry out flu vaccination, but only 29% of the country's population believe that vaccination should be done.

Previously, the site kp.ru He wrote that the absolute contraindications for flu vaccination include severe allergic reactions to the components of the vaccine, including chicken protein, as well as serious complications after previous vaccinations, such as Guillain–Barre syndrome, which occurred within six weeks after vaccination (although such a relationship is rare). If you are allergic to chicken protein, doctors recommend discussing the possibility of using alternative, recombinant vaccines.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.