The French National Authority for Health (HAS) issued a recommendation on Thursday that healthy children over two years old should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza every year
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th February, 2023) The French National Authority for Health (HAS) issued a recommendation on Thursday that healthy children over two years old should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza every year.
In late December, HAS said that the number of hospitalizations of patients with suspected flu had increased among all age groups in France.
"HAS recommends that seasonal influenza vaccination could be offered every year to children without comorbidities between the ages of 2 and 17 full years, without making it mandatory," the health authority said in a statement.
At the moment, vaccination in France is recommended for certain categories of workers and groups of people susceptible to severe forms of the disease, HAS added.
Child vaccination will help reduce the risk of flu spreading among all age groups and reduce the burden on pediatric departments in the country, the statement read.
Nearly 9,000 people die in France each year as a result of seasonal influenza, with up to 6 million cases reported across the country.
