Influeza vaccine needs to be done

When someone gets an influenza vaccine, this vaccine can only last for about a year. Whether or not the influence of influenza vaccine on a person's body is greatly affected by the mutation of the virus This is because viral mutations often occur, which are caused by the presence of antigenicdrift or minor (mild) mutations when the influenza virus replicates so that new viral viruses circulate. The strain of the virus is a generation of offspring. In this case the term often used is the type or strain of the virus.

"Therefore, influenza vaccination needs to be done routinely every year. For its effectiveness, influenza vaccines require approximately two weeks in the process of forming antibodies after vaccination is carried out, said Chairman of the Indonesian Influenza Foundation (IIF), Cissy B Kartasasmita.
The effectiveness of vaccination also depends on the strains in the influenza vaccine. Because influenza virus strains can change every year.

This is the background of the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue annual recommendations on the composition of influenza virus strains. There are two strains of influenza virus, namely Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH).

As the development of health technology finally allowed 4 strains of the virus, namely 2 A strains and 2 B strains, which were contained in one influenza vaccine. This vaccine is known as the quadrivalent influenza vaccine, in the report The need for quadrivalent vaccine against seasonal influenza (2010).

Indonesian Total Market Audit Q1 2017 data shows that the number of influenza vaccinations carried out by Indonesian people is still relatively low. Its coverage is only around 500,000 doses of vaccine per year.

In terms of risk groups, the coverage of influenza vaccination among health workers in Indonesia is still relatively low when compared to Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.


These countries require vaccination of influenza regularly every year to protect health workers and prevent transmission of influenza to patients.

Influenza vaccination is a prevention method that has proven effective. "Influenza vaccination is effective at providing protection for up to 90 percent for someone who receives a vaccine in a healthy condition, aged less than 65 years," said Cissy.

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