Children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases are three groups of people who need to be equipped with a flu vaccine “shield” to enjoy the year-end holiday season with peace of mind.
The end of the year is the “season” of entertainment activities that gather large numbers of people. Events from fairs, music nights, parties, family gatherings… can create ideal conditions for the flu virus to spread quickly.
Three groups of people are at increased risk of flu complications
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), three groups of people at high risk of complications from seasonal flu include: children, the elderly, and people with chronic underlying diseases.
Seasonal flu is a respiratory disease that is especially dangerous for children. According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), every year there are about 28,000-111,500 child deaths related to seasonal flu globally. Children, especially children under 5 years old, have weak and not fully developed immune systems, so they are at high risk of getting sick, prone to dangerous complications and have a high level of transmission to others. Seasonal flu can cause serious complications in children such as pneumonia, otitis media, myocarditis, and worsen existing chronic diseases. Children under 14 years old who are unlucky enough to get the flu can face a risk of pneumonia up to 8 times.
Children with weak and immature immune systems are subject to attack by seasonal flu viruses.
Unlike children, the weakening of the immune system in the elderly mainly comes from age, accompanied by underlying diseases, making them vulnerable and facing a high risk of being invaded by the influenza virus. Influenza contributes to the decline in organ system function in the body, making it difficult for the elderly to fully recover their previous physical condition. More notably, after flu infection, the elderly can increase their risk of stroke by 8 times and the risk of myocardial infarction by 10 times.
Elderly people and people with chronic medical conditions are at risk of dangerous complications of seasonal flu.
In addition, people with chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, or immunocompromised patients due to HIV/AIDS or cancer, will have a higher risk of death. when you have the flu. Specifically, this risk increases 5 times for cardiovascular patients and 12 times for patients with chronic lung disease. More seriously, patients with both cardiovascular disease and lung disease will face a 20 times higher risk of death. Seasonal flu can also worsen chronic diseases that this group of people already have. Specifically, diabetics will face a 6 times higher likelihood of hospitalization and a 6 times increased risk of death.
Festival season and the risk of flu “waiting”
In Thailand, the alarming increase in flu cases in schools along with 2 deaths recorded since early October 2023 has caused many health experts in the country to declare this a state of emergency. for public health. China also recorded a sharp increase in the number of respiratory disease cases; The National Health Committee has also called on schools and nursing homes to strengthen disease prevention measures.
During the festival season, Vietnam often welcomes a large number of tourists and vice versa, people’s demand for foreign travel also increases. The increase in the number of flu cases in neighboring countries such as Thailand increases the risk of flu spreading to Vietnam in the near future. Tourists from other countries bring viruses that cause respiratory diseases, including influenza, into our country. On the other hand, the continuous movement of domestic tourists also makes the flu easy to spread.
The movement of tourists during the holiday season creates favorable conditions for the flu virus to spread quickly.
In addition, the end of the year and close to Tet is a time for fun and reunions. Hugging and shaking hands can create opportunities for many viruses that cause respiratory diseases to “run rampant”, including the flu virus. The rate of spread is stronger with direct contact, especially in crowded places such as schools, offices, amusement parks…
Get a flu shot to enjoy the holiday season with peace of mind
Festive season fun activities are indispensable. However, each individual needs to proactively take precautions to ensure safety for themselves and the community . In addition to cleaning your home and taking regular health care, annual flu vaccination is an effective measure recommended by experts to proactively protect against seasonal flu attacks.
Flu vaccination is a way to help each individual and family enjoy the holiday season with peace of mind.
The seasonal flu vaccine does more than just protect against flu infection. Annual flu vaccination should be a health care habit that should be practiced regularly to build and maintain immunity at the individual and community levels. In addition, protecting vulnerable populations (including children, the elderly, and people with chronic underlying medical conditions) from serious complications of influenza should be a top priority, to limit the number of deaths and support health system sustainability by reducing hospital admissions.
This holiday season, people should consult their doctors to vaccinate themselves and their loved ones against seasonal flu. Make sure the whole family is firmly protected against the flu to make moments of holiday fun more complete and secure.
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