Title: Spain‘s Flu Surge: A Rising Concern During Festive Season
Article:
Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias (CCAES) alerts that the flu continues in "rising phase" during Christmas holidays, with a transmission level of 205 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, surpassing the baseline and nearing the moderate transmission threshold, which could be crossed this week.
Medical authorities warn that the flu epidemic peak is still in its ascending phase and is expected to grow for the next three to four weeks. During the epidemiological week 52 (December 23-29), the incidence of acute respiratory infections (IRA) registered a drop due to the Christmas holidays, with a rate of 645 affected per 100,000 inhabitants, amounting to over 51,600 cases in a week.
![Medical professional administering flu vaccine]()
Prevalent Viruses in Catalonia
The virus distribution shows that rhinovirus is the most widespread (33.3%), followed by flu (31.7%) and respiratory syncytial virus (17.0%). In children, flu B is the predominant virus (26.7%), followed by RSV (19.4%) and flu A (16.8%). Epidemiologist Antoni Trilla from Hospital Clínic assured that the flu upsurge will last "three to four more weeks" but stressed that, despite the rising cases, flu is still at a moderate level.
Flu Hospitalizations and Age Groups
Flu hospitalizations have increased, with 73% of patients being over 60 years old. For SARS-CoV-2, the number of hospitalizations has decreased, with 80.3% of patients being over 60. In the case of RSV, there’s a slight decrease in hospitalizations, with 58% of admissions being children under two years old.
Flu Vaccination for Minors
The Committee on Vaccines and Immunizations of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (CAV-AEP) recommends systematic flu vaccination for children up to 18 years old to protect them from the disease. For children under two years old, the intranasal vaccine is recommended due to its higher acceptance, easier administration, better efficacy, and fewer side effects.
CAV-AEP suggests systematizing the flu vaccine between six months and 18 years, emphasizing the improvement of coverage in children under five years old, who have a higher flu incidence and hospitalization rates, comparable to those of adults over 65. Children are also the primary transmitters of the flu virus.
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