March 25, 2004
By Chandrea Gerber
WINTER is around the corner, and with it runny noses and scratchy throats. The City is launching its annual influenza campaign this month targeting people at high risk of contracting flu.
The Gauteng Department of Health has supplied 13 000 doses of influenza vaccine to be distributed around the city. These are now available at clinics around Johannesburg.
High-risk persons who can benefit from this campaign are those over the age of 65, or people who suffer from chronic diseases such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, kidney failure, or those that have a defective immune system. For these people, the vaccine will be offered for free at the City clinics.
In South Africa, flu usually occurs from May until September, and peaks in June and July, although outbreaks of flu can occur earlier or later in the season as well. The best time to be vaccinated is from the middle of March to April, and the vaccine takes one to two weeks to provide protection. It is never too late to be vaccinated and there is no cut-off date.
Vaccination is the only preventative measure against flu, and if you have been vaccinated or have had flu before, you are unlikely to catch the same type of flu again. However, flu strains differ from year to year and the vaccines are produced to tackle specific strains.
Flu strains expected this season
The health departments have identified three major flu strains that are expected to hit South Africa this year. They are:
- A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like strain
- A/Fujian/41/2002 (H3N2)-like strain
- B/Hong Kong/330/01-like strain
Symptoms of flu
Contrary to popular perceptions, flu is not a cold and a cold is not flu. Most people suffer at least two to four colds every year and, although the primary infection is by and large not severe, secondary infection by other micro-organisms, usually bacterial infection, often follows a cold.
Flu causes fever, respiratory symptoms such as coughing, a sore throat, runny nose, as well as a headache, muscle aches and extreme tiredness or fatigue.
Although nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea can occur, especially in children, these symptoms are not characteristic of flu.
Recovery from flu
Most people recover from flu in one to two weeks, but can be tired for some time after recovery. Some people can develop serious and potentially life-threatening complications like pneumonia.
Ask the nearest People's Centre in your region for more information on where the vaccine is available. Or ask your doctor or pharmacist for information on where to get vaccinated. For more information about flu, go to www.flu.co.za.
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