FLU-ently speaking
Influenza (often referred to as flu) must not be confused with the common cold,as influenza is deadly.
The misconception that influenza and common cold are the same often leads to fatality,with susceptible age groups like infants and the elderly at greatest risk
Influenza (often referred to as ‘flu) must not be confused with the common cold,as influenza is deadly. Though both are respiratory illnesses,they are caused by different viruses. While a common cold is a milder respiratory illness,influenza is a severe infection of the respiratory tract that can lead to serious health complications. The misconception that influenza is just a “very bad cold”is dangerous as seasonal influenza is known to lead to serious health problems like pneumonia and result in death.
In tropical countries like India the virus circulates around the year and an Influenza outbreak can occur at anytime. It is the unpredictability of the virus that causes concern,hence an annual influenza vaccination is recommended as a precautionary measure since a person may pass on the influenza virus to someone else even before they know that they are sick. The continuous mutation of the influenza virus makes it potentially dangerous as the virus becomes resistant to medicines and results in seasonal epidemics.
Therefore the World Health Organization (WHO) makes an annual updated recommendation for the influenza vaccine composition. The Centre for Disease for Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine influenza vaccination for all persons aged 6 months and older. This is an expansion of the previous recommendation for annual vaccination of all adults aged 19 – 49 years and is supported by evidence that annual influenza vaccination is a safe and effective preventive health action with potential benefit in all age groups.
Says Dr Sanjay Lalwani Head,Department of Paediatrics,Bharati Hospital,“Unfortunately in India there is no awareness that influenza kills. I cannot describe the anguish of a parent whose child is lost to a preventable disease like ‘flu. The annual influenza vaccine prevents complications from ‘flu and I recommend it to all my patients. In developed countries,everyone has a ‘flu shot at the onset of winter. It’s a fact that a ‘flu vaccinated school or office is a healthy place,with negligible absences due to illness.”
Influenza affects all but the more susceptible groups are young children,the elderly,pregnant women and people with a chronic medical condition. Young children have a greater risk of getting infected because they have not had the opportunity to develop immunity to the virus. This puts them at a higher risk of hospitalizations. However,ninety percent of the recent H1N1 swine flu deaths have not been in children but healthy young adults under 65 years of age.
Research shows that pregnant women are at a greater risk of contracting the influenza virus. All pregnant women should get their influenza immunization because influenza poses a serious risk of illness and death during pregnancy. Additionally,pregnancy increases the risk for fatal complications associated with the influenza virus,including bacterial pneumonia and dehydration. The immune system changes that accompany pregnancy increase the risk of an influenza attack leading to hospitalization.
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