With flu season approaching in the UAE, health authorities are urging residents in high-risk groups to get vaccinated early against seasonal flu.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has issued guidelines asking doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to proactively check the vaccination status of patients as well as encourage seasonal flu vaccination during every clinical visit.
Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses circulating around the world. While most people recover from fever and other symptoms within about a week without needing medical treatment, the infection can cause serious complications among vulnerable groups.
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Here is what residents need to know.
Who should get the flu vaccine every year?
According to the DHA guidance, annual influenza vaccination is particularly recommended for:
The authority said that the vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent influenza. Flu vaccines have been used for more than 60 years, but protection from vaccination reduces over time, which is why annual vaccination is recommended.
Can pregnant women get the flu vaccine?
Yes. DHA specifically advises pregnant women to be vaccinated during any trimester of pregnancy.
The guidance said that this can help protect the mother while also providing passive immunity to the newborn.
Should kids get the flu vaccine?
Children aged six months to five years are among the groups for whom annual influenza vaccination is recommended.
The same age group is also specifically included in DHA’s proactive counselling recommendations for healthcare professionals.
Should family members of vulnerable patients get vaccinated?
DHA recommends immunisation for residents and caregivers who are in close contact with people who have weakened immune systems or with babies younger than six months.
This means vaccination advice is not limited only to people considered medically vulnerable themselves.
Will the flu vaccine make you sick?
The guidance asks healthcare professionals to address this concern. DHA mentioned that the patients should be reassured that inactivated influenza vaccines cannot cause influenza. Healthcare providers should also explain how vaccination can reduce the risk of complications from the illness.
Are all flu vaccines administered via injections?
No.
According to the guidance, influenza vaccines are routinely updated to better match viruses circulating around the world.
Several inactivated and recombinant influenza vaccines are available as injections, while live attenuated influenza vaccines are available as a nasal spray.
What happens if a hospital patient has not been vaccinated?
DHA has advised healthcare facilities to encourage unvaccinated patients to receive the vaccine.
DHA advises unvaccinated patients, including those admitted to acute-care wards, to receive the flu vaccine before discharge from hospital.
What symptoms should residents watch for?
Flu symptoms usually begin around two days after a person becomes infected.
They can include a sudden fever, usually dry cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, severe tiredness or feeling unwell, sore throat and a runny nose.
What other precautions can help?
Apart from vaccination, DHA recommends regularly washing and drying hands, covering the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, disposing of tissues properly and staying home when feeling unwell.
Residents are also advised to avoid close contact with sick people and avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
Source: Khaleej Times