I. What is influenza? Influenza (influenza for short) is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza virus (influenza virus for short), with clinical manifestations of fever, headache, myalgia, malaise, rhinitis, sore throat and cough, and possibly gastrointestinal discomfort. Influenza can aggravate underlying diseases (such as heart and lung diseases) or cause secondary bacterial pneumonia or primary influenza viral pneumonia, and the elderly and people with various chronic diseases or weakness are prone to serious complications after influenza and have a high death rate. Second, how to prevent influenza? As influenza is a viral infection, there is no special treatment, so preventive measures are very important. The main preventive measures include: (a) Maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. (ii) Wash your hands regularly, use soap or hand sanitizer and wash your hands with running water, and do not wipe your hands with dirty towels. Hands should be washed immediately after contact with respiratory secretions (e.g., after sneezing). (c) Cover your nose and mouth with a handkerchief or tissue when sneezing or coughing to avoid contaminating others with droplets. Influenza patients should wear a mask at home or when going out to avoid infecting others. (d) Eat a balanced diet, exercise in moderation, get enough rest, and avoid overexertion. (e) Open the windows several times a day (in winter, avoid wind through the hall) to keep the indoor air fresh. (F) During the high season of influenza, try not to go to crowded places with dirty air; when you have to go, it is better to wear a mask. (vii) Flu vaccination before the flu season can also reduce the chance of infection or reduce flu symptoms. The Ministry of Health has developed “Guidelines for Influenza Vaccination in China”, which has been posted on the official website of the Ministry of Health. Who should get influenza vaccination? Influenza vaccination is self-funded and voluntary by citizens. However, group vaccination or emergency vaccination organized by local health administrative departments according to relevant regulations is provided by the government to citizens free of charge. Generally speaking, people aged 6 months or older who are not contraindicated to receive the vaccination can receive the influenza vaccine voluntarily and at their own expense. Vaccination is recommended for the following groups of people: 1. people over 60 years old; 2. people with chronic diseases and those who are frail; 3. staff of medical and health institutions, especially front-line staff; 4. elementary school students and kindergarten children; 5. staff of nursing homes, elderly care centers, and childcare institutions; 6. employees in the service industry, especially cab drivers, drivers and passengers of civil aviation, railroads, and highway traffic, and employees of commercial and tourism services; and 7.People who travel frequently or travel to home and abroad. Who can’t get influenza vaccination? Pregnant women who are more than 3 months pregnant should use influenza vaccine with caution. In addition, the following groups of people are prohibited from receiving influenza vaccine: 1. people who are allergic to eggs or other components of the vaccine; 2. patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome; 3. pregnant women within 3 months of pregnancy; 4. patients with acute febrile diseases; 5. people with chronic illnesses; 6. people with severe allergies; 7. children under 12 years of age cannot use the whole inactivated virus vaccine; 8. people who are not considered suitable for vaccination by doctors. V. What kinds of influenza vaccines are available and how to choose them? There are three types of influenza vaccines currently used in China: whole virus inactivated vaccine, cracked vaccine and subunit vaccine, and both domestic and imported products are available for sale. Each vaccine contains three types of inactivated influenza viruses or antigenic components: subtype A1, subtype A3 and type B. The immunogenicity and side effects of these three vaccines do not differ much. However, it should be noted that the inactivated whole virus vaccine has more side effects on children and is prohibited for children under 12 years old. VI. When is it appropriate to receive influenza vaccination? What is the effect? 1. Influenza vaccination 1-2 months before the peak of the influenza epidemic can play a more effective role in the protection of the vaccine. The recommended time for vaccination in China is from September to November each year. Since the composition of the strain contained in the vaccine varies from year to year depending on the predominant strain, it is necessary to receive the current year’s influenza vaccine every year. As China is a northern hemisphere country, the World Health Organization recommends the northern hemisphere influenza vaccine components for the current year at the beginning of each year based on the global surveillance of the virus in the last epidemic season, and the manufacturers organize the production of the vaccine. 2. Influenza vaccination has a certain degree of protection for influenza A and B. However, it has no preventive effect against avian influenza. What are the possible side effects of influenza vaccination? The components of whole virus inactivated vaccine, cracked vaccine and subunit vaccine are not infectious and will not cause influenza, but there is a possibility of incidental respiratory diseases unrelated to vaccination after vaccination. Local reactions: Transient mild pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. Systemic reactions: Hypothermia and discomfort may occur after vaccination. Only symptomatic treatment is usually required and will not affect the effect of the vaccine. Acute hypersensitivity reactions may occur in people who are highly allergic to egg proteins. VII. How to manage the influenza vaccination? Influenza vaccination should be managed in strict accordance with the relevant regulations and requirements of the Regulations on the Administration of Vaccine Circulation and Vaccination Prevention. Based on influenza monitoring and early warning information, the health administrative departments of local people’s governments at or above the county level may conduct mass vaccination in the administrative region for the prevention and control of influenza outbreaks and epidemics with the approval of the local people’s governments at or above the county level and reported to the higher health authorities for the record. In the event of an influenza outbreak and epidemic, the local people’s government at or above the county level or its competent health department may take emergency vaccination measures. The vaccine used for mass vaccination or emergency vaccination organized by the local people’s government or its competent health department at or above the county level shall be provided by the government to citizens free of charge. Except in the above cases, influenza vaccination shall be administered voluntarily by the public at their own expense or through other means; vaccination shall be administered within the vaccination units designated by the local health administration department. Disease prevention and control institutions, vaccination units and their medical and health personnel who find abnormal reactions to vaccination, suspected abnormal reactions to vaccination or receive related reports shall handle them in a timely manner in accordance with the norms of vaccination prevention and immediately report them to the competent health department and drug supervision and management department of the local county-level people’s government. The competent health department and drug supervision and management department receiving the report shall immediately organize investigation and treatment, and report the abnormal reaction and treatment to the Ministry of Health and the State Food and Drug Administration at different levels.