Wash your hands regularly

Wash your hands regularly. | Karolina Grabowska

Dr. Lucy Antolin WilkinsonPalma 31/01/2025 11:46
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Although blessed with a warm climate, winter health is an issue in Mallorca just as it is anywhere else in Europe. Coughs, colds and other bugs are spreading furiously at this time of year. So can you prevent yourself from catching colds? It seems that everyone has their own theory, but is there anything that actually works?

Stopping the spread

Most winter bugs are caused by viruses, tiny vessels of genetic material programmed to spread. They typcially enter the body through the vulnerable points of the eyes, airways, or by being swallowed. To reduce the risk of this happening:

  • Wash your hands regularly, especially if you’ve been in a busy area
  • Ensure that shared spaces are well-ventilated.
  • Consider wearing facemasks in crowded areas (although most of us were glad to see the back of them after the pandemic)

Boosting your immune system

The best way to have a robust immune response may seem a little unimaginative but is tried and true: have a healthy diet, sleep well and take regular exercise. A huge range of other ideas have been investigated, but for most the evidence is still mixed.

There seems to be a small amount of evidence that probiotics (foods containing live bacteria, including yoghurt, kefir and sauerkraut) could help. However, the effectiveness of popular remedies like vitamin C and echinacea has yet to be proven.

Vaccine vs virus

Vaccines are available to protect us from some – but not all – winter bugs. Influenza (flu) vaccines are widely used. Flu is not just a cold – it’s a potentially serious illness for those in risk groups. The European Commission estimates that 37,000 deaths are avoided in Europe every year thanks to flu vaccines.

Over recent years, the Covid-19 vaccine has also been added to the winter to-do list for certain at-risk groups. Again, this has saved an unimaginable number of lives – over 14 million in a single year according to one study.

Here in Mallorca, you can access Covid-19 and flu jabs through your local health centre. Even if you aren’t registered with the local public health service, you can still get both via the public health system if you are in a high-risk group, although there may be a chanrge depending on your country of origin and residence status. The campaign continues up until the end of March when the flu season draws to an end.

Babies in Spain receive a vaccine against respiratory syncitial virus (RSV), which causes a range of respiratory illnesses from mild to life-threatening in small children. Children are vaccinated against chickenpox, which tends to rear its head in winter and spring. Again, these are available through your local health centre.

When prevention isn’t enough

Despite precautions, catching a winter bug is sometimes unavoidable. If you fall ill, rest, try simple measures, and seek medical advice if your symptoms persist or worsen.

References and further information

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006895.pub4/full
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/12/987.short
https://health.ec.europa.eu/vaccination/influenza_es
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9537923/

Position on vaccination for overseas visitors clarified with IBSalut 28/1/25