The campaign of flu vaccination begins in April, and one of the main questions when it comes to immunization is the difference between the SUS flu vaccine and the private one. First of all, it is important to emphasize the importance of vaccination because it avoids mass contagion, since the flu virus is highly transmissible. reasons to get vaccinated Understand, now, the differences between the vaccines offered in health units, be they public or private.

See also: Schedule your flu vaccine here

SUS and private flu vaccine: which is more effective?

Each year, the composition of the influenza vaccine is changed according to the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) Thus, both the SUS flu vaccine and the private flu vaccine fulfill the role of immunizing the main types of Influenza "A" and "B." So there is nothing to worry about, as the two are in accordance with the predominant strains of the year.

Difference between flu vaccines

Although both are safe, the basic difference between the SUS flu vaccine and the private one is in its immunological coverage. That is, the vaccine from the public network is trivalent, which has the two types of Influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and one Influenza B virus, which are the most dominant in the Brazilian territory.

In turn, the flu vaccine offered in the private network is quadrivalent. This means that it has two subtypes of the Influenza virus. In other words, it has two subtypes A, the same as the SUS vaccine, and two subtypes of Influenza B that depend on the predominant virus of the previous year. Therefore, what distinguishes one vaccine from the other is the addition of the Influenza B strain in the immunization of clinicsparticulars.

In principle, the flu vaccine that will be distributed by SUS in Brazil carries the strains:

• A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09.
• A/Darwin/9/2021 (H3N2): The Darwin variant was the cause of the unseasonable epidemic in some cities in Brazil between late 2021 and early 2022.
• B/Australia/02/1359417/2021.

The vaccine offered in the private network will have the same formulation, including one more Influenza B subtype.

Should I prefer the private vaccine?

According to Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) Therefore, if you choose any of the vaccines you will be protected, but the advantage of being vaccinated in the private network is the possibility of scheduling your immunization before the official date of the vaccination campaign determined by the Ministry of Health.

Read more: How are vaccines made?

References: Ministry of Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, World Health Organization (WHO), and Agência Brasil.