For diabetics flu shot recommended in the cold season?

Physicians advise diabetics to the flu vaccine in winter

Winter time is usually also flu time. Especially in the cold months of the year many people in Germany get flu. Therefore, it is especially important for people with a chronic illness, that they protect themselves in the winter months sufficiently from influenza, so as to avoid serious negative effects on health. Experts now advise diabetics in particular to get a flu shot from their doctor.

The doctors at the Center for Diabetes of CJD Berchtesgaden recommend that people with diabetes should be vaccinated to protect themselves from the flu during the winter months. The experts published a press release pointing out the special risks of diabetics.

Gripper diseases are comfortable for no one. Such a disease is really problematic when diabetics are affected by the flu. (Image: auremar / fotolia.com)

Immune system is less defensive due to increased blood sugar levels

Especially chronically ill people are advised to visit a doctor at the beginning of winter to be vaccinated against the flu - this also applies to diabetic patients. Because "diabetics have an increased risk of infection", Dr. Gerd Schauerte from Diebeteszentrum CJD Berchtesgaden. "The immune system is less defensive by increased blood sugar levels" and "this makes it easier to infections and also for influenza infection," explains the expert. Therefore, it is particularly important for diabetics to undergo a flu vaccine.

Excess sugar prevents immune cells from detecting pathogens

The high blood sugar levels that occur in diabetics cause the defense work of the white blood cells in the human body to be hindered. The reason is that excess sugar binds to human immune cells. This means that our immune cells can no longer detect dangerous pathogens, the experts explain.

Flu can have serious consequences for people with diabetes

Especially for chronically ill people, the consequences of a flu illness can be very serious. With high-fever flu, blood sugar is often confused, physicians explain. The consequences can be severe cases of over- or under-sugar. A particular problem with this topic is that, unfortunately, many people are not aware of their condition. Two million Germans do not know about their own diabetes disease, a recent study revealed.

Influenza vaccination rarely has side effects

In Germany alone, there are up to 25,000 hospitalizations per year due to the flu. Several thousand people die every year from influenza, experts say. The permanent vaccination committee at the internationally renowned Robert Koch Institute recommends the vaccination especially in people with an increased risk of infection. "The vaccine is generally well tolerated," explains Dr. Schauerte in the press release of the CJD Berchtesgaden. There are rarely any weak side effects, adds the physician.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is often referred to as diabetes and is actually a group of metabolic diseases. There are several forms of the disease, such as type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycaemia (blood sugar) typical for diabetes usually has to do with insulin. The mechanisms responsible for this include, for example, absolute insulin deficiency and relative insulin deficiency. It is also possible that both mechanisms occur together. (As)