Nicosia: The number of seasonal infections reported so far was expected and is not a cause for worrying, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Elisabeth Constantinou, and the Spokesperson of the State Health Services Organisation (SHSO), Charalambos Charilaou, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Monday, recommending however caution. Meanwhile, Constantinou said earlier today during a visit to Limassol Hospital that around 110,000 people have so far been vaccinated against seasonal flu.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the public response to the vaccination program against seasonal flu is satisfactory, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health said, pointing out however that this is not the case as regards Covid-19 vaccinations, with the numbers of jabs received so far being as low as 3,800. This number is in line with the data of 2024.
Asked by CNA on the effectiveness of the vaccine against seasonal flu this year, she said that it is over 55%, according to estimates by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC).
Referring to the viruses circulating at this time of year, Constantinou said that in addition to influenza - especially influenza A, which is the predominant one - there are cases of RSV and COVID infections. "The epidemiological picture is within the expected framework for the season, it is not unusual," she added.
There is an increase in cases, which was expected due to the many social contacts, said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, clarifying, however, that "this does not mean that we should be complacent" and that "everyone should take the necessary measures both for themselves and for those around them."
A rise in seasonal virus cases is expected in the coming period, the Spokesperson of the State Health Services Organisation (SHSO), Charalambos Charilaou, told CNA. "In recent days, there has been an increased activity of seasonal viruses, namely COVID-19 and RSV, but what we have observed is that hospital admissions are no different from last year, meaning the number of patients being hospitalised is no greater than last year," he added.
"The number of those currently hospitalised is very small, so we are not particularly concerned. There are very few cases," he pointed out.
Charilaou noted that in the coming days, due to the gatherings for the festive tables, there will be an increase in cases, adding that "this does not particularly worry us." As he explained, "we are at the beginning of the winter season and it is expected that in the coming days and months we will have an increase in cases with seasonal viruses."