Seasonal Influenza - How To Avert It?

Seasonal influenza is a disease that can be potentially fatal if it is not treated on time. This is an infection-based ailment that can affect people differently in different seasons. Let us find out more about the symptoms, treatment and vaccination for this viral infection.

Symptoms: Those suffering from this sickness will usually experience rapidly rising temperature and fever along with chills and body ache. It will also cause a cough and sore throat which will hurt even while eating and gulping fluids. A runny nose is also a common symptom of this condition along with headaches. Vomiting and loose motions will also be experienced by the patients, especially children.

Complications and onset: The onset of this condition happen with the transfer of droplets in a person’s cough or sneeze. If you are in close physical contact with someone who is already suffering from this condition, then getting exposed to these droplets when a person sneezes or coughs can lead to the spread of the disease. This is a contagious condition that usually calls for immediate hospitalisation so that it may be treated properly under due medical intervention. This condition may also cause bacterial pneumonia as well as other potentially fatal conditions like heart failure, extreme sinus infection and dehydration. Also, it may give rise to other ailments like diabetes and asthma in the long run.

Prevention: One of the most important ways of preventing this condition is with the help of the influenza vaccine. This vaccine is usually taken once a year so that you are protected against an entire cycle of 12 months, which includes various seasonal changes.

The vaccine: The seasonal influenza vaccine is usually administered to newborn babies every few months. As the child grows older, the vaccine may be administered once every six months or once a year, eventually. Adults must also take this vaccine at least once a year. This is because the immunity of an infant will be more delicate than the immunity of a growing child and adult. This vaccine must be administered by a doctor only.

Facts about the vaccine: With the help of this vaccine, the antibody production in the body is encouraged. This leads to protection when it comes to a variety of infections. The viruses contained in the vaccine are known to protect the body against four kinds of infectious viruses. There are various kinds of this vaccine, including the standardised dose that contains trivalent shots containing the virus that has been grown in an egg. The other kinds include the quadrivalent flu vaccine that is appropriate for various age groups. The former is usually given to infants and toddlers, while the latter is administered to adults.