When is the flu vaccine released in Ecuador?

Good question. 

In Quito it seems like January is the start of flu season as that's the time when reports of related illnesses and deaths are often reported in the news.  But out of curiosity I Googled temporada de gripe en Ecuador, and it led me to this page by the Ministry of Health. And sure enough January is the beginning of the flu season and peaks in March. But, apparently there's also second flu season as well that begins in July and peaks in August.

It's worth noting that although those are the flu seasons, the flu can affect Ecuador from other countries and other regions according to the MoH. This makes perfect sense considering the size of population and country.

Now, to answer your question - usually, flu vaccines are released and recommended before flu season begins, no?

If I were to get a flu vaccine in Quito, I would do so before the January season. This is the season in my experience that seems to be most prevalent with outbreaks. It's also the rainy season and quite cold when the sun doesn't appear much.

For other parts of the country, the prevalent season may very well be the second flu season from July to August.

The Dude:
When is the flu vaccine released...?

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Or you could contact your doctor's office or the hospital and ask whether the vaccine has been released in your area.

cccmedia

Or you could just skip it altogether like I do and beef up onthe pro biotics instead........And suscribe to the old saying, "whatever doesnt kill ya, makes ya stronger"......Im just coming out of a week a la gripe on the Atlantic coast of Colombia now......First time sick for more than 24 hours in a couple of years........lots of rain, and stagant pools of water around........but my immune system seems to be dealing with it on its on.........and a flu shot is like a shot in the dark.....So many strains of flu, cant count em.........and they give you one random strain.......rediculous really.......I feel sorry for anybody who falls for that one........

I've never gotten a flu shot, but I certainly won't eliminate the possibility in the future. Some strains of the flu seem particularly dangerous and in Ecuador I think those are the vaccines that they administer. The previous years the Ministry of Health set up vaccination locations that offer free vaccinations. This info is communicated on the radio and in newspapers.

So I think it's important to know what is happening in one's city/region. If there's an outbreak of a specific kind of flu, H1N1 or swine flu for instance, which killed quite a few people in Pichincha in 2016 then a vaccine should be considered. This is especially the case if a person or loved ones are more vulnerable to the symptoms.

What's interesting about this thread is the realization of two flu seasons in Ecuador.

Thanks for the advice. I believe in the science of vaccines. The cost is low. I will update the thread when I get a definitive answer from my new doctor

Or you could just have “un té de viejas” that's suppose to make you feel better, no matter what! haha!

Hello everyone,

Please note that i have removed some posts from this thread. The topic is about Ecuador, so please let us discuss only about Ecuador. You will always hear info (fake or true) about what happened in other countries but here the topic is quite straight forward, so let us focus on that  :

lebowski888 wrote:

In the USA, the annual flu vaccine is released around September. But what about Ecuador?

Thank you,
Bhavna

Perhaps besides asking when the shots are available, one might be interested in the country of origin for said shots.