Hyderabad: With cases of swine flu now being reported in the city, pulmonologists state that September is the right month to take vaccination for those who are suffering from hypertension, diabetes and other diseases which will protect them from influenza virus.
The vaccine has arrived in the market 10 days ago and has three strains which have been picked up from California, Switzerland and Phuket. Dr Subhakar K, senior pulmonologist said, “We are seeing the initial cases as there is a dip in temperatures in the night. It is important to understand that various types of influenza virus have always been circulating and affecting the immune-compromised people. It is for this category of people to take extra care and precautions during the season.”
So far, there have been three cases in July and 10 cases in August in both the states. Dr C. Vijay Kumar, senior chest physician said, “It is very important that children who are suffering from cold and cough are not sent to school. We often find that parents insist on sending pre-primary and primary section children to school and that allows the spread of the disease faster. Since the last two years we have been asking parents to be patient and allow the child to stay at home as it helps from spreading the disease. The same applies even to adults who must not go out if they have severe cold, cough and fever. Staying at home and seeking medical help and rest helps the immune system to fight it. At the same time it stops the spread.” Cough etiquette and hand hygiene is strongly recommended to stop the spread of the disease.
At the same time, senior doctors in TS have represented to the government that healthcare workers, who are exposed to H1N1 patients, must be vaccinated as they are the most vulnerable group. A senior doctor said, “We have seen a large number of cases last year and at that time it is was pointed out that the para-medical staff needs to be better informed about the disease. Hence workshops to upgrade their knowledge have been taken up.”
