Vaccinate against flu to protect yourself, your loved ones – NICD

Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.

This is the call to citizens just as the National Institute for Communicable Diseases announced that for the first time in 15 years, said the flu season has hit us early.

The institute said the flu season started on March 24, four weeks earlier than last year.

“The flu season ... marks the earliest start to the flu season since 2010, based on pneumonia surveillance in public hospitals. This early start doesn’t mean that this year’s flu season will be more severe than in previous years, but it does mean that now is the time to protect yourself and your loved ones by getting the flu vaccine,” said the institute's spokesperson Vuyo Sabani.

Dr Michael de Villiers, a general practitioner at Netcare Medicross The Berg, said, “Vaccines are one of the tools in our arsenal to help reduce the severity of the worst flu infections”.

“If you are vaccinated, you can still get colds or flu. However, the illness is likely to be far less severe with a quicker recovery, compared to an untrained immune army dealing with a particularly nasty strain for the very first time,” he explained.

“If you do fall ill, contrary to common belief, antibiotics are ineffective against colds and flu caused by a variety of viruses, which are a specific type of organism. Antibiotics are designed to kill harmful bacteria – a completely different and unrelated set of micro-organisms. There’s no point taking an antibiotic unless there is evidence that the problem is bacterial.

“For flu viruses, this would be comparable to using a fly swatter to kill a lion, and therefore not an effective or useful strategy in this situation.”

Sabani said most people experience mild symptoms and are fine in a few days.

“But for some, influenza can lead to severe illness, hospitalisation or even death. Those most at risk include pregnant women, people living with HIV, individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, tuberculosis, kidney disease, or obesity, older adults [65 years and older] and children younger than two.

“These groups are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and to seek medical care early if they develop flu symptoms. In addition, healthcare workers are also encouraged to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their patients who may be at increased risk of having severe influenza illness should they be infected,” said Sabani.

“It is important to remember that even if you do not get sick with the flu yourself, you can still carry it and pass the infection on to others, leading to wider transmission within communities. Therefore, we all have a role in preventing the spread of infection, including through non-pharmaceutical measures like practising good hand hygiene and staying home when you are ill,” he said.

De Villiers said some people do not get sick from the flu but can carry it and pass it on to others, leading to wider transmission within communities.

“Therefore, we all have a role in preventing the spread of infection, including through non-pharmaceutical measures like practising good hand hygiene and staying home when you are ill,” said De Villiers.

Sabani said the seasonal influenza vaccine is available at public health clinics and private healthcare providers, including general practitioners and pharmacies.

Sabani says to reduce the spread of flu, people should:

• Wash your hands often;
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick; and
• Stay home if you are feeling unwell.

“If your symptoms worsen or don’t improve within 3–7 days, seek medical attention. Clinicians are urged to consider influenza when diagnosing patients with respiratory illness this season,” said Sabani.

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