To vaccinate against flu … or not to vaccinate?
Getting the flu vaccine actually has a lot of benefits.
The Johannesburg Health District is currently running an annual influenza vaccine campaign.
The aim is to reduce deaths related to influenza within the community. The campaign will take place in all public healthcare facilities where the vaccine will be provided at no cost. Private sector citizens will however have to pay for the vaccination.
Influenza (flu) is a respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. It is infectious and is transmitted from person to person through coughing and sneezing mucus directly into the eyes, nose or mouth of another person.
Flu shares many symptoms with the common cold, but real flu is different. Signs and symptoms include chills, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, extreme tiredness and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea.
Pregnant women, irrespective of stage of pregnancy, people living with HIV/ AIDS, children between the ages of six months and 18 years on long-term aspirin treatment, and all persons aged 65 years and above are encouraged to visit their nearest clinic and be vaccinated against flu.
Adults and children over six months are at high risk for influenza-related complications because of underlying medical conditions such as chronic pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, renal, hepatic, neurologic, haematologic or metabolic disorders, morbid obesity and immuno-suppression.
What are the benefits of a flu vaccination? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website:
• Vaccination reduces the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant women by up to 50 per cent.
• A 2018 study showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant woman’s risk of being hospitalised with flu by an average of 40 per cent.
• Getting vaccinated can also protect a baby from flu after birth.
• Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu-related illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
• A 2017 study was the first of its kind to show that flu vaccination can significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from influenza.
For more info, visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm.
