Is the flu vaccine effective in reducing the risk of covid

The symptoms caused by the COVID-19 outbreak are similar to those of the common cold. This has led most people to think that the flu vaccine can help fight COVID-19. This is because both influenza and COVID-19 attack the respiratory tract of the sufferer.

However, is the flu vaccine effective in helping to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus?

Is it true that the flu vaccine can help reduce the risk of COVID-19?

The COVID-19 outbreak has now caused more than 114,000 cases globally and claimed more than 4,000 lives.

Until now, experts are still working on developing a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and looking for alternative treatments that are effective for treating patients. In addition, governments around the world also urge their citizens to take preventive measures by maintaining health and hygiene.

COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData

1,024,298

Confirmed

831,330

Recovered

28,855

DeathDistribution Map

Meanwhile, many people question whether the flu vaccine can be used to prevent COVID-19 considering that they both attack the respiratory system.

The answer is no. The flu vaccine is specially made to prevent influenza virus infection which is certainly different from the corona virus or SARS-CoV-2. However, injecting the flu vaccine can at least help maintain a better immune system against the COVID-19 outbreak.

If people get the flu vaccine, they are less likely to develop flu symptoms such as fever and cough and they may go to a health clinic less often.

That way, the number of flu patients will be fewer and make it easier for doctors to find COVID-19 patients. Then, can injecting the flu vaccine increase endurance and reduce the risk of COVID-19?

According to the CDC, the flu vaccine can generate antibodies to develop more rapidly two weeks after the vaccine is administered. These antibodies can provide protection against viral infections in accordance with what vaccines, such as the flu vaccine for the influenza virus, offer.

The types of flu vaccines are quite varied. However, there are two of the trivalent vaccines that are made specifically for elderly people aged 65 years and over so that their immune response is stronger.

In fact, in theory the flu vaccine might be used to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 by increasing the immune system response in your body. However, until now there has been no official statement from WHO stating that the flu vaccine can be used.

Therefore, getting the flu vaccine is actually okay, especially to prevent influenza. However, getting the influenza vaccine has nothing to do with the risk of getting COVID-19.

The difference between COVID-19 and influenza

The flu vaccine cannot prevent COVID-19, but there is nothing wrong with getting the vaccine regularly to prevent influenza.

The question of whether the influenza vaccine can be used for COVID-19 may often arise in people's minds because the symptoms and what is attacked are quite similar. However, according to WHO, there are several differences that need to be known regarding COVID-19 and influenza.

1. Transmission

One of the things that distinguishes between COVID-19 and influenza is transmission. Influenza patients can usually be infected even if they are not very sick. Meanwhile, COVID-19 transmission occurs through respiratory droplets, aka droplet from infected patients to others.

Meanwhile, only 1% of the COVID-19 cases reported in China have no symptoms and two days after that the signs will appear.

In some countries, governments use surveillance systems for flu and other respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, to search for cases of COVID-19. However, this does not mean that the spread of the influenza virus is similar to SARS-CoV-2.

2. Complications

Apart from transmission, another major difference from COVID-19 and influenza is complications. Patients infected with COVID-19 can actually develop more severe disease, especially when they suffer from comorbidities, such as diabetes or heart disease.

Compared to influenza, SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus, so the body has not yet produced antibodies to fight this virus.

As a result, people will be more susceptible to infection and some of them may lead to severe illness and death.

3. Availability of vaccines

As previously explained, a vaccine for flu is available, but not for COVID-19. Until now, a vaccine for COVID-19 is still in the development stage.

Therefore, people are urged to maintain their own health and hygiene as an effort to prevent COVID-19.

4. The need for quarantine

When a person has the flu, it is not necessary to quarantine one area to prevent transmission. Differentiate with COVID-19.

One city to state quarantine is needed to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 from an infected country. Apart from the fact that there is not much unknown about this virus, COVID-19 also has a fairly high transmission rate and can cause severe complications.

Therefore, when treating COVID-19 patients, doctors do not treat it in the same way as influenza.

The flu vaccine cannot be used to prevent COVID-19. However, there is nothing wrong with getting vaccines in an effort to avoid influenza.