Proactively vaccinate against diseases during seasonal changes

Children struggle with influenza A in the middle of the epidemic season

In just over three weeks of November 2025, Hanoi Children's Hospital received about 1,500 children for examination, of which 400-500 cases were diagnosed with flu and had to be hospitalized.

Having taken her son to the hospital for four days, Ms. Vu Thi Huong (35 years old, Hanoi) said that her son had a high fever that caused him to have convulsions and vomit a lot, so the family had to take him to the hospital. He also had difficulty breathing, bronchitis, and had to use an inhaler. “The most important thing is that he vomited so much and felt weak, so the family decided to take him to the hospital. I don't know how to take care of him at home, especially now that influenza A and other seasonal flus are breaking out, I'm very worried. Every time I see my son vomit and feel weak, I have to take him to the hospital. He had had a convulsion due to fever before, so I'm even more afraid that if I leave him at home, he might have another convulsion, which would be dangerous,” Ms. Huong shared.

Sharing the same room with Ms. Huong and her daughter, Ms. Hoang Yen (Noi Bai commune, Hanoi) said that her daughter had been hospitalized for 10 days. Before being admitted to the hospital, she had a fever and cough, then her family took her to a private clinic and diagnosed her with influenza A. "The fever went away after about three days, but the next two days she slept lethargically, refused to eat, and her condition worsened, so I took her to the hospital," she said. At the hospital, the child had to use oxygen for two days, and now her condition has stabilized. Doctors diagnosed her with influenza A with pneumonia, and the virus had spread to her lungs when she was admitted to the hospital.

Proactively detect early and get vaccinated to avoid serious progression

According to resident doctor Nguyen Tri Dung, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hanoi Children's Hospital, influenza is a respiratory disease, so parents need to strengthen preventive measures for children such as improving resistance with a reasonable diet, vitamin supplements, giving children enough water and enough sleep.

"Currently, the changing weather and erratic temperature changes are favorable conditions for the flu virus and influenza A to spread strongly in the community. However, compared to previous years, this year's flu situation has not recorded any abnormalities. Annual flu vaccination is a simple but extremely effective measure to help protect health, reduce the risk of disease and avoid dangerous complications, especially in young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with underlying diseases," said Dr. Dung.

At the Vaccination Unit of Hanoi Children's Hospital, many families have proactively taken their children to get vaccinated against flu as well as other seasonal diseases. Ms. Dao Thi Quynh (Soc Son, Hanoi) and her daughter brought her one-month-old grandchild for a check-up after the baby contracted RSV this month. Here, the doctor assessed that the baby's health was stable and indicated that he could be vaccinated against tuberculosis, so the family took the baby to the vaccination area. "Recently, I saw many people around me get the flu, and the media continuously warned about the epidemic. My baby just recovered from RSV, so when he was full-term, I took him to get vaccinated immediately," Ms. Quynh shared.

Dr. Le Thi Nga, head of the Vaccination Unit, said the body begins to create antibodies after at least a week, reaching maximum effectiveness after a month, with protection up to 90% depending on the season and age group. However, the vaccine's effectiveness only lasts from 6 to 12 months because immunity decreases over time.

The currently recommended influenza vaccines are effective, safe, and prevent four common strains of influenza virus, including two strains A (H1N1 and H3N2) and two strains B (Victoria and Yamagata). Vaccines currently used in Vietnam include Influvac Tetra (Netherlands), Vaxigrip Tetra (France), GCFlu Quadrivalent (Korea) and Ivacflu-S (Vietnam).

During the flu season, getting vaccinated on schedule and getting a booster shot every year is the most practical way to protect yourself, your family and the community.

In addition, doctors also recommend that children and adults need to combine proactive personal hygiene such as washing hands regularly, wearing masks in crowded places or when using public transport, and limiting contact with people with symptoms of the disease.

LINH THUONG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/chu-dong-tiem-vaccine-phong-benh-luc-giao-mua-528228.html