Influenza has returned to levels similar to those seen before 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic did not exist, prompting the world to adopt biosecurity measures that have led to an overall reduction in influenza cases.

The warning was issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommended vaccination against flu and coronavirus, especially for vulnerable people. In Ecuador, the Ministry of Health announced that a flu vaccination campaign will begin on October 24 as a preventive measure to deal with the approach of the El Niño phenomenon. That’s good news, given global rates of respiratory disease. The bad news is that this is just another circumstance where we don’t learn from experience. The effects of COVID-19 are visible in the future, some researchers warn, and the flu can cause other serious diseases. Health is not a topic to be minimized.

The flu vaccination campaign will begin early in the morning on October 24

During the pandemic, unless people got sick with COVID-19, it was very rare for anyone to get the flu. Campaigns to maintain biosecurity measures were constant, and the fear of the coronavirus not only regulated the use of masks, but also the constant washing of hands, the use of disinfectants and the cleaning of everything purchased.

Now there is a minority who use masks and they have even started to disappear from the hangers. And with some, the use of alcohol remained. How difficult it is for us to learn from experience! When COVID-19 was killing thousands of people, the public and private sectors took care of it.

It is not necessary to wait for diseases or viruses to spread in order to prevent them. The health system and citizens must raise awareness of the cost of disease that can be avoided with simple measures.

Care for people with respiratory diseases is starting to increase in local hospitals. The alarm has been given, we must work on prevention. (OR)