Kolkata: Annual vacci-nation is the most effective solution for combating seasonal influenza infec-tions such as swine flu, which has killed more than 1,200 people this year in India, the World Health Organisation has said.
“It is recommended that people get a flu vaccine even during seasons when drifted viruses are circulating. It’s because vaccination can prevent some infections and can reduce serious ailments that can lead to hospi-talisation and death,” stated the Geneva-based agency. The flu vaccine has been designed to protect against three or four influenza viruses and some of these viruses may circulate later in the season, the WHO said in a report.
On the growing number of influenza cases around the world, WHO said, “This season (2014-15), influenza appears to be widespread and relatively severe in many parts of the world mai-nly because of an antigenic drift in influenza A (H3N2) viruses in the community leading to a mismatch between the Influenza A virus (antigen) in the current northern hemisphere flu vaccine and those circu-lating in the community.
“As a consequence, the northern hemisphere seasonal flu vaccines are slightly less effective than in previous years. The problem is emphasised in North America and parts of Europe, where predo-minantly the A influenza virus is circulating this season.”. In India, the predominant influenza virus circulating this season is not the A (H3N2) but the A (H1N1) pdm09 or swine flu, WHO stated.
Fresh casualties have driven the swine flu toll past the 1,200-mark while more than 23,000 cases of the disease have been reported in the country. The nation-wide toll from swine flu stands at 1,239 while the state-wise data shows Guja-rat to be the worst affected with more than 300 casua-lties. According to the Union Health Ministry, as on March 4, the number of those who have contracted the disease has reached 23,153.
“Respiratory viruses, including influenza, com-monly occur in the winter with the potential to cause large epidemics, even pan-demics crossing the globe.
According to WHO, healthcare providers and workers need to ensure that all persons with symptoms of respiratory infection adhere to respiratory hygie-ne, cough etiquette and hand hygiene throughout the duration of their visit to healthcare facilities.
Physicians also need to know and watch out for emergency warning signs — like difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing of coloured sputum, severe or persistent vomiting, altered level of consciousness, confusion — as these require immediate medical attention. “We have been continuously advoca-ting augmenting of influenza surveillance, outbreak pre-paredness and response as well as recommending influ-enza vaccination among high-risk groups,” WHO said.
States must continue their surveillance for influe-nza- like illnesses as well as acute respiratory infections and carefully review any unusual pat-terns, WHO recommended. “Seasonal influenza viruses evolve continuously, which means that people can get infected multiple times throughout their lives.
Therefore, the compo-nents of seasonal influenza vaccines are reviewed fre-quently (currently bian-nually) and updated perio-dically to ensure continued effectiveness of the vac-cines,” it said. (PTI)
