Warning from AUTH Microbiology professor: The Covid-flu “meeting” is grand this year

“This winter, the “meeting” of Covid and flu will be grandiose,” she said professor of Medical Microbiology AUTH and vice-president of the Hellenic Society of Virology Georgia Gyula noting at the same time that when the vaccination against Covid started there were zero cases of flu, while this year after many years there were 174 cases of flu in the summer months. During the debate on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, which concluded the informational activities of the Thessaloniki Medical Association (ISTH) in the context of the 86th TIF, Ms Giula estimated that it will be a while before we see a vaccine that includes all respiratory viruses .

“We are starting after 2.5 years without mandatory restrictive measures, without all the things we were used to in our daily lives and there was already a harbinger of what will happen soon. We’ve had many years of seeing a ‘micro flu epidemic’ in the summer months, 174 cases is no small feat. So I think the flu virus may be the protagonist but it will certainly be the co-protagonist along with SARS CoV-2. Let’s not forget that last year we proceeded with the vaccination against the corona virus with zero cases of influenza, in Greece and Europe. Whether we will have a vaccine that includes all respiratory viruses I think will take a long time to happen, we will not see it at least in the next two epidemic periods in our country. Probably in the future we will have vaccines for SarsCov-2 like those for the flu. That is, the technology will remain the same and what will change will be “the” or “the” strains that will be included. As for the origin of the virus, at a recent European conference it was proved scientifically and precisely that the virus did not come from a laboratory” said Ms. Gyula.

The associate professor of Pathology – Infectious Diseases, AUTH and Head of the Covid-19 Reference Center and member of the expert committee of the Ministry of Health, head of AHEPA Covid Clinic Simeon Metallidis he mentioned that we are in the recession of a wave (Covid19) that came for the first time in the summer and that the sub-variants of “O” that seem to prevail in this period cause milder illness and so the health system and ICUs are not burdened. Referring to the subject of vaccination and people with underlying diseases, he said that a great effort should be made by the medical community. “We doctors, regardless of specialty, must talk to patients and society about the necessity of vaccination. We doctors need to change our mentality in this area. Medicine is moving towards the quality of life, for example with the shingles vaccine, we doctors should recommend prevention and vaccines, maybe we should teach it at the university” added Mr. Metallidis.

Vaccines are more effective than drugs

“Vaccines are more effective than drugs” pointed out the pediatrician – president of the Association of Independent Pediatricians of Thessaloniki, Olga Tzetzi, indicating that the measles vaccine is 99.7% effective. For his part, the professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AUTH, Theodoros Agorastos, citing data from studies on the HPV vaccine, said that the reduction of uterine cancer in girls under 25 who were vaccinated (in Scotland, Australia, Sweden, etc.) a.) was of the order of 90%. “The world has been fully informed about the corona virus just as three decades ago it was also informed about the AIDS virus. These are the two unique cases where the Greek state undertook to inform the world. I don’t remember any others. But there are other viruses that also cause very serious problems for which unfortunately there is no information. Among them is HPV which causes cancer or rather causes ten cancers in men and women (cervix, oropharynx, anus, vagina, larynx) and these cancers are difficult to cure. The HPV vaccine is for both sexes up to the age of 45. It is currently free until 18 but this date may change in the next 15 years. The virus is usually transmitted sexually, it is very common, there is no other method of prevention (eg condoms which of course are needed), the vaccine is the only method and the most effective” noted Mr. Agorastos. During the discussion it was pointed out that the reappearance of diseases such as measles in many other countries, e.g. the USA, is due to the fact that the vaccination program for children was “left behind” due to a pandemic but also to anti-vaccination movements which created and are creating gaps in various population groups, where the virus finds an opportunity to develop and broadcast.

He characterized as a collective achievement the fact that 75% of the population of our country has had at least two doses of vaccine against Covid the associate professor of Clinical Pharmacology – scientific manager of the Clinical Research Unit of the Department of Medicine, AUTH Georgios Papazisis. Referring to the updated vaccines, Mr. Papazisis said: “Science is evolving, MRNA technology has the main characteristic of speed to modify and update them. All indications are that sterile immunity will be achieved in the future for the above reasons. Now we are still in a difficult situation but we trust science and we will not forget what we knew. So we look to the future with optimism. It didn’t surprise us why mRNA vaccines were found so quickly in the sense that it was a technology that had some trials. They had been tested in other diseases, and we will see this in the future, especially in oncology and cancers “The president of the Institute of Health Sciences, Nikos Nitsas, emphasized the leading role of the medical community in dealing with the pandemic, but also the role of the state – from now on – so that to integrate prevention with planned examinations and tests, for example, such as that of HPV).

“We need to be vigilant and address the risks in a more holistic way, especially when the decline in childhood vaccination programs is seen internationally. Doctors, the state and citizens should cooperate immediately so that we can deal with them effectively. We therefore need organization and information in simple and understandable words about the possible domino effects of inaction or other factors” said Mr. Nitsas

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