Flu shots to the rescue

Dr Suchismitha Rajamanya explains the importance of the flu vaccine and the uptick in its use over time

Millions of people receive the flu vaccine every year. And why not? If the seasonal flu vaccine is lowering your risk of contracting the flu by 50%, then you must take it. This is your best shot to protect yourself from the flu.

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness that is caused by the influenza A or B viruses. Commonly known as the flu, this illness occurs mainly during the winters. You may experience fever with chills, sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, body ache, and feel very tired as part of the flu symptoms. Some also complain of diarrhoea in some cases. Complications of the flu include the following:

Sinus problems

Ear infections

Pneumonia (lung infection)

Inflammation of the heart, brain, or muscles

Worsening of long-term conditions like asthma, heart failure

Multi-organ failure

Sepsis — a life-threatening inflammatory condition

The flu spreads easily and is contagious to other people. It spreads from one person to another when the infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and the droplets containing the virus enters the nose and mouth of the people nearby. If an infected person touches their face and then touches a surface, they are transferring the virus on to the surface. Now, when a healthy person touches these surfaces and then touches their own mouth, nose, or eyes, they can get the flu.

One way to protect yourself against the flu is to get vaccinated. Influenza viruses change their antigenic characteristics quite frequently. The spread of the virus depends on the susceptibility of the people being affected by the virus. The success of the spread also depends upon the population’s proneness to viruses with novel antigens. Hence, the annual influenza vaccine programme has become an important public health measure for preventing influenza infection.

The protection against the disease that is provided by the influenza vaccines depends on the induction of virus-neutralising antibodies that act against the viral haemagglutinin. Getting vaccinated each year is your best chance at surviving the disease and avoiding its complications.

The Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) recommends that the annual influenza vaccination programme be implemented for all age groups. All individuals above the age of 6 months should receive the influenza vaccine provided they do not have any contraindications. People who are at a higher risk, their close contacts, and primary healthcare workers are on the top of the list of recipients for the vaccine.

With the ongoing pandemic, it is essential that everyone who belongs to the high-risk category must get their vaccine shot. Older adults and individuals who have chronic health conditions are at an increased risk of developing complications of influenza.

This may prove to be fatal in some serious cases. The influenza vaccine not only reduces the risk of the infection but also the severity of the illness in those who get infected with the virus. The flu is usually a self-limiting febrile illness in healthy young individuals. The vaccine helps reduce these infections.

Continuous and widespread immunisation of most children has resulted in herd immunity amongst the kids. This helps in reducing the risk of influenza infections in unvaccinated children and adults. You are at a higher risk of developing complications from the influenza virus if you are too young or too old, you are pregnant, immunocompromised, have a chronic illness, and any other underlying issue.

For the past two years, owing to the ongoing pandemic, there have been many flu-like illnesses. These individuals have come with complaints of upper respiratory tract infections or flu-like symptoms. But on being tested, they report negative to Covid-19. With the help of the influenza vaccine, the prevalence of flu-like infections can be reduced further.

Annual vaccination against the flu is recommended for all because it not only protects against the disease but also reduces the complications and severity of the disease. Newer influenza strains that are circulating in the air need to be prevented from causing illness.

These strains are included in the current year’s vaccine. Thus vaccinating a larger population can provide manifold benefits to the entire population. This is true irrespective of the vaccine losing its efficacy in those who are vaccinated annually.

So, get vaccinated for the influenza vaccine on a yearly basis. Consult your doctor about when to take the vaccine, whether you require the vaccine, and how often do you need to take it.

(The author is a consultant in internal medicine.)