Latinos have the third rate of hospitalization for influenza
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Monday, December 23
The Flu: Another Serious Threat Against Our Community
In the heat of the Covid pandemic – 19 many people are lending less attention than due to other less famous but equally dangerous health problems. One of them is influenza, which is the scientific name for what we call flu in Spanish and flu in English. It is a disease that worries us a lot in the Hispanic Federation, because our community is one of the three sectors of the American population most affected by this infection.
The Latinos have the third rate of hospitalization for influenza, of 44 patients by 100, 000 people. And what is much more serious is that our community has the lowest proportion of people vaccinated against the flu, of just 38%. This is especially painful because the vaccine is so effective and can be received without complications in clinics and hospitals, doctor’s offices, and even pharmacies.
“The influenza vaccine It is recommended for all people from six months of age, and it is an annual vaccine ”, explains Dr. Carmen Sofía Arriola, Epidemiologist of the Influenza Division of the Centers for Disease Control of the United States, or CDC. Dr. Arriola recently participated in an online chat about the flu vaccine hosted by our Hispanic Federation.
“The influenza virus is very dynamic and changes constantly, ”explains Dr. Arriola. “That’s why you have to get vaccinated every year, because scientists must periodically reformulate the vaccine, so that it is the most appropriate for the following year.”
On the other hand Since the vaccine is only effective for one season, if someone does not get immunized for one or two years, when they are vaccinated again they are perfectly protected again. Of course, that’s not a recommended practice.
The CDC reminds us that even people who have been vaccinated against the flu would do well to engage in behaviors similar to those we use against Covid – 19, especially if we are infected with the influenza virus. For example, wash our hands frequently with plenty of soap and during 20 seconds at least; cover our noses and mouths in the presence of other people; or if we sneeze or cough.
“I want to highlight that both vaccines and those other prevention measures not only protect ourselves but also protect our community and the most vulnerable, such as our grandparents or children too young to be vaccinated. To get vaccinated, we become a shield that protects all of them. ”
For more information about the flu and the vaccine, visit www.espanol.cdc.gov/flu/
And to learn more about the Hispanic Federation, call our bilingual line, at 1 – 866 – HFAYUDA, or 1 – 866 – 432 – 9832, or visit http://www.hispanicfederation.org. .
Put on your masks and keep six feet ( or two meters) of social distance to combat the coronavirus!
Almost in the 31 th anniversary of the Hispanic Federation, until the next column!
And have a Happy New Year!
– Frankie Miranda is the president of the Hispanic Federation
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