Update your 'flu anti-virus programme now and vaccinate!
Flu sounds harmless. Maybe a couple of days in bed – worst case. You might develop a sudden fever, a runny nose, sore throat, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain.
Most people can recover from flu symptoms within a few days without medical attention. But high-risk patients could develop severe illness resulting in hospitalisation. Annual flu epidemics result in about 3-5 million cases of severe illness and up to 650 000 deaths globally. Besides keeping up good hygiene habits, drinking enough fluids, having enough sleep and managing your stress, you should also consider getting vaccinated, especially if you belong to one of the high-risk groups. The vaccination might not prevent the flu in totality but it reduces the severity of the disease and incidence of complications and deaths.
The World Health Organization recommends annual vaccinations for pregnant women, children under 59 months, the elderly, individuals with chronic medical conditions (such as chronic cardiac, pulmonary, renal, metabolic, neurodevelopmental, liver or hematologic diseases), individuals with immunosuppressive conditions (such as HIV/AIDS, receiving chemotherapy or steroids, or malignancy) and health-care workers.
The circulating flu viruses change constantly and therefore the compositions of the flu vaccines need to be updated regularly. As soon as the new vaccine is available in South Africa, get your shot and be ready for the new flu season.