Every year, when winter and spring come, respiratory infectious diseases resurface. Along with the first northeast monsoons of the season (in the North) and the first rains of the season at the end of spring (in the South), it is the season of seasonal flu - a very common and quite dangerous respiratory infectious disease, different from bird flu.
Vaccination helps prevent seasonal flu
Preventive medicine expert Nguyen Tuan Hai said that people with underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic diseases such as asthma or pregnant women are also groups of people who often experience complications caused by the flu.
The consequences of seasonal flu are not only for patients but also for families, communities, and the health sector... when every season, many parents have to stay home to take care of their sick children due to flu, many offices or factories lack human resources because many people have to take time off due to seasonal flu. Medical facilities are sometimes overloaded when the number of patients needing care suddenly increases. In 2016, in Vietnam, there were nearly 300,000 cases of hospitalization due to respiratory infections caused by flu, a memorable number.
Doctors recommend that to prevent seasonal flu, cleaning the environment, using masks and getting vaccinated are necessary. Seasonal flu is caused by influenza viruses (usually 4 strains from H1N1, H3N2 and 2 group B strains) and spreads in the community with the ability to continuously change antigens but according to certain genetic rules. Because each year the circulating influenza virus strains are different and we are often exposed to "new" influenza viruses, it is necessary to get a booster shot of seasonal flu vaccine every year (once a year). Especially before the flu season starts, and it is necessary to get the recommended seasonal vaccine.
For a long time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set up seasonal influenza virus "monitoring" stations around the world (including Vietnam) to isolate and identify seasonal influenza viruses circulating in regions (geographical regions, climates, Northern and Southern hemispheres, etc.) to predict and identify the influenza virus strains that will appear in the winter-spring season in the Northern Hemisphere (from October to the end of April of the following year) and in the winter-spring season in the Southern Hemisphere (from May to October every year).
Also according to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Hai, from determining the possibility of which influenza virus strain will prevail where (Northern or Southern hemisphere), WHO will provide guidelines on influenza virus strains to produce seasonal influenza vaccines for vaccine manufacturers to follow and supply to the market at the best time (Northern hemisphere is around August-September, and Southern hemisphere is around April-May every year).
Vietnam is located in the tropical monsoon region, so the flu season in the North and the South may differ slightly in time, but because we are located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and according to WHO recommendations, we should get the correct Northern Hemisphere vaccine, which means covering from this winter to the end of next spring.
Q.FLOWER
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