<p>As the city braces for the predicted third wave, more pediatricians are endorsing the use of the influenza vaccine to reduce confusion in filtering Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases from Covid-19.</p>.<p>“By administering flu vaccines on a wider scale, we can curtail the number of influenza cases. Therefore, many ILI cases that come up after vaccination will likely be genuine cases of Covid-19,” said Dr Srikanta J T, pediatrician at Aster CMI Hospital.</p>.<p>Widespread flu vaccinations could also ensure that health infrastructure is not strained by flu cases competing with Covid-19 cases for beds and medical services, pediatricians added.</p>.<p>The issue needs greater attention as the flu season is likely to coincide with the predicted third wave, expected between September and December.</p>.<p>Dr Shenoy Bhaskar, head of pediatrics, Manipal Hospitals (Old Airport Road) said the flu season generally starts in June and ends in October.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-requires-4500-icu-beds-to-handle-third-covid-wave-997927.html" target="_blank">Bengaluru requires 4,500 ICU beds to handle third Covid wave</a></strong></p>.<p>With influenza symptoms overlapping with Covid, the rapid initial diagnosis has become difficult for the doctors. Some of the overlapping symptoms include fever, respiratory difficulty and coryzal manifestations such as a running nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, loss of taste and smell, mild burning of the eyes and pressure in the ears or sinuses due to mucosal swelling.</p>.<p>Nevertheless, only about 20-30% of all children get the flu shot annually, which falls significantly below the threshold to minimise the occurrence of the disease in the general child population.</p>.<p>“With roughly between 50 and 100 children out of a thousand contracting influenza in an average year, this is behind the big push by pediatricians to get more children vaccinated this year,” Dr Bhaskar said.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Vaccine confusion</strong></p>.<p>The move has some in the pediatric community up in arms, especially over reports that the influenza vaccine will offer some protection against Covid-19.</p>.<p>This is the claim made by a University of Michigan study published on March 23. The study claimed that of nearly "13,000 people who got a flu shot the previous year, 4% tested positive for Covid-19. Of the 14,000 who hadn't gotten a flu shot, nearly 5% tested positive for Covid-19".</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/city/top-bengaluru-stories/bengaluru-reports-less-than-1000-new-covid-19-cases-for-first-time-in-2-months-997815.html" target="_blank">Bengaluru reports less than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases for first time in 2 months</a></strong></p>.<p>“The influenza vaccine cannot provide protection against Covid-19 because the viruses are different. Parents should be clear about that,” said Dr Asha Benkappa, head of pediatrics, Dr Chandramma Dayananda Sagar Institute of Medical Education and Research.</p>.<p>Some pediatricians described the flu shot push as a money-making enterprise to use up this year’s flu vaccine shots before they expire in November.</p>
<p>As the city braces for the predicted third wave, more pediatricians are endorsing the use of the influenza vaccine to reduce confusion in filtering Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases from Covid-19.</p>.<p>“By administering flu vaccines on a wider scale, we can curtail the number of influenza cases. Therefore, many ILI cases that come up after vaccination will likely be genuine cases of Covid-19,” said Dr Srikanta J T, pediatrician at Aster CMI Hospital.</p>.<p>Widespread flu vaccinations could also ensure that health infrastructure is not strained by flu cases competing with Covid-19 cases for beds and medical services, pediatricians added.</p>.<p>The issue needs greater attention as the flu season is likely to coincide with the predicted third wave, expected between September and December.</p>.<p>Dr Shenoy Bhaskar, head of pediatrics, Manipal Hospitals (Old Airport Road) said the flu season generally starts in June and ends in October.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-requires-4500-icu-beds-to-handle-third-covid-wave-997927.html" target="_blank">Bengaluru requires 4,500 ICU beds to handle third Covid wave</a></strong></p>.<p>With influenza symptoms overlapping with Covid, the rapid initial diagnosis has become difficult for the doctors. Some of the overlapping symptoms include fever, respiratory difficulty and coryzal manifestations such as a running nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, loss of taste and smell, mild burning of the eyes and pressure in the ears or sinuses due to mucosal swelling.</p>.<p>Nevertheless, only about 20-30% of all children get the flu shot annually, which falls significantly below the threshold to minimise the occurrence of the disease in the general child population.</p>.<p>“With roughly between 50 and 100 children out of a thousand contracting influenza in an average year, this is behind the big push by pediatricians to get more children vaccinated this year,” Dr Bhaskar said.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Vaccine confusion</strong></p>.<p>The move has some in the pediatric community up in arms, especially over reports that the influenza vaccine will offer some protection against Covid-19.</p>.<p>This is the claim made by a University of Michigan study published on March 23. The study claimed that of nearly "13,000 people who got a flu shot the previous year, 4% tested positive for Covid-19. Of the 14,000 who hadn't gotten a flu shot, nearly 5% tested positive for Covid-19".</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/city/top-bengaluru-stories/bengaluru-reports-less-than-1000-new-covid-19-cases-for-first-time-in-2-months-997815.html" target="_blank">Bengaluru reports less than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases for first time in 2 months</a></strong></p>.<p>“The influenza vaccine cannot provide protection against Covid-19 because the viruses are different. Parents should be clear about that,” said Dr Asha Benkappa, head of pediatrics, Dr Chandramma Dayananda Sagar Institute of Medical Education and Research.</p>.<p>Some pediatricians described the flu shot push as a money-making enterprise to use up this year’s flu vaccine shots before they expire in November.</p>
