Say yes to flu prevention
By Meera Murugesan - January 9, 2021 @ 8:00am
HAVING a cough, fever, and body ache? You might be wondering whether it's Covid-19 or the flu, but neither you nor your doctor will be able to tell the difference until you get tested.
You might be relieved if the doctor says you do not have Covid-19 but your jubilation would be short lived if you are found to be suffering from severe flu, instead.
Immunise4Life technical committee chairman, Professor Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail says everyone is afraid of Covid-19 and for good reason, too. However, we must not lose sight of influenza or the flu.
In some cases, the flu can lead to life-threatening complications (such as pneumonia and multi-organ failure) that may lead to death. It can also worsen medical conditions like heart disease, asthma and diabetes.
Anyone can catch the flu. However, certain people are more likely to develop severe flu and flu complications. They include those with long-term medical conditions (heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes), immunocompromised persons, pregnant women, children below 5 years of age, and adults over 60.
"It is recommended that these individuals be vaccinated every year against the flu. It is one of the best tools available to help
prevent severe illness and complications arising from the disease. It will spare them the personal distress of getting hospitalised for the flu and avert the need to take up vital medical resources that would otherwise go to Covid-19 and other patients during the pandemic."
Young and healthy people will also benefit from an annual flu shot. It will
help reduce the risk of getting infected and enable them to keep working, especially in these tough economic times.
"Even if you don't think you will get really sick from the flu, you should still get vaccinated so that you do not get infected and pass it on to a vulnerable loved one, such as a young child or an elderly parent."
Flu prevention should be a priority.
It is also possible to have both the flu and Covid-19 at the same time, observes Professor Dr Zamberi Sekawi, chairman of the Malaysian Influenza Working Group.
There is a worry that Malaysia might be facing a confluence of Covid-19 and influenza he explains.
"It is bad news to get either disease, but worse if you get both. This is why it is very important for everyone, especially those in high-risk groups, to get vaccinated against the flu now, before the usual spike in hospitalisations due to influenza occurs in the upcoming months, as that will at least protect them against one of these two infectious diseases."
Dr Zamberi advises the public to get their flu shot annually. Flu vaccines need to be updated every year to make them more effective in fighting the anticipated circulating virus strains.
Flu vaccines available in Malaysia are approved by the Ministry of
Health (MOH) as being safe for use. These vaccines have a proven safety record and are well tolerated among all age groups.
In Malaysia, MOH provides flu vaccination to frontline healthcare workers as well as patients in high-risk groups such as individuals suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and heart disease.
Getting vaccinated is also a smaller price to pay compared to
the time and money lost if you or one of your loved ones has to be hospitalised due to complications from the flu, especially the elderly and those at high risk of developing severe flu.
While getting vaccinated against the flu does not mean a 100 per cent guarantee against developing influenza, it does mean that if you do get infected, you will experience far milder symptoms compared to an unvaccinated person.
The "Making Flu Prevention My New Normal" pledge drive was the 2020 focus of the "Flu Prevention is an Act of Love" campaign, organised by Immunise4Life in collaboration with the Malaysian Influenza Working Group and supported by the Vaccination Is Protection initiative.
The pledge drive featured numerous medical experts, social media influencers, celebrities and artistes who supported the cause.
Disclamer: Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak, UiTM
This material may be protected under Malaysia Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies, reproductions or copyrighted materials.
You may use the digitized materials for study or research.