Influenza, better known as "Flu", is an infectious disease caused by an RNA virus from the Orthomyxoviridae family (influenza viruses)
The most common symptoms of this disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, severe headache, cough, weakness, and general discomfort.
The symptoms of influenza in humans were first described by Hippocrates approximately 2,400 years ago, then followed by the first convincing report of an influenza pandemic, namely the plague in 1580, which started in Russia and then spread to Europe via Africa. In Rome, more than 8,000 people died, and in several cities in Spain almost all of them fell victim to the virus
According to the World Health Organization, flu outbreaks usually occur in the fall and winter. However, in areas with tropical climates such as Indonesia, the influenza virus spreads throughout the year. The results of this epidemic resulted in around 3,000,000-5,000,000 serious cases per year in the world. According to WHO, it is estimated that up to 500,000 deaths due to influenza occur annually in the world.
Benefits of the Influenza Vaccine
The influenza vaccine or sometimes called the flu vaccine is one of the best protections for the rainy season or long trips/tours and this vaccination is highly recommended for high risk groups, such as:
- Children aged 6 months to 4 years (59 months)
- People aged 50 years and over
- People with chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurological, hematological, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)
- People with immunosuppression (including medication- or HIV-induced immunosuppression)
- Women who are or will become pregnant during influenza season and women up to 2 weeks after delivery
- People aged 6 months to 18 years and receiving long-term aspirin therapy
- People living in nursing homes or other chronic care medical facilities
- People with extreme obesity (body mass index of 40 or more)
- Medical service officer
- Caregivers of children under 6 months of age
- Caregivers of children under 5 years of age
- Caregivers of elderly people over 50 years of age
- Caregivers of people with medical conditions that put them at risk of serious complications from Influenza.
Injection of the influenza vaccine is recommended once a year because the flu virus continues to develop every year. Therefore, the flu vaccine is recommended to be done once a year. For vaccination, EMC Tangerang Hospital has a special clinic to ensure that the public gets the best and safest vaccine because it is supported and supervised by doctors who are experts in their fields.
Side Effects of the Influenza Vaccine?
The flu vaccine, if done correctly and according to the doctor's recommendations, is actually relatively safe for the public. Although side effects exist, they are basically almost the same as various types of vaccinations or other immunizations, including:
- Pain at the injection area, sometimes low fever
- Itching at the injection area
- The body feels a little tired and sluggish.
Life-threatening allergic reactions such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or severe itching, rapid heartbeat are very rare. Maybe the odds are around 1:1,000,000 in people who get vaccinated. EMC Tangerang Hospital carries out examinations/consultations first and always ensures the quality of the vaccine given to prevent these side effects
There are several criteria for people who are not advised to receive the influenza vaccine due to various research matters, namely:
- Children under 6 months of age
- People who are allergic to eggs.
- People who have a history of severe allergies to flu vaccine ingredients such as gelatin, antibiotics or other ingredients.
In conclusion, this vaccine is recommended for the public as an early prevention effort and of course this vaccine is relatively safe to administer, in accordance with the doctor's recommendations.