Flu can be dangerous. Protect yourself with the flu shot

GEMS strives to protect the public service from seasonal influenza

As the influenza season begins to bite, Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) urges the public to keep themselves healthy by getting the influenza vaccination.

"The Government Employees Medical Scheme [GEMS] encourages its members to ward off the winter woes associated with flu season by protecting themselves with a flu vaccination," says Dr Gunvant Goolab, Principal Officer of GEMS.

"A dose of influenza causes debilitating fever, muscle aches, sore throat, headache and a persistent runny nose. As anyone who has experienced flu will know, this is a most unpleasant condition and can often last up to two weeks. We would like to help spare our members from this seasonal affliction, as far as possible, and keep South Africa's public servants healthy and productive."

Influenza increases the risk of developing a respiratory disease, and the illness can become complicated if a secondary infection, such as pneumonia, sets in. This can be very serious, particularly for children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems or underlying health problems.

"When people get vaccinated against flu, they are not only protecting themselves, but are also helping to protect their families, colleagues in the workplace and communities. This is because the more people are vaccinated against the more severe strains of the influenza virus, the smaller the chance of other people falling ill too - even among those who have not been vaccinated. For this reason we encourage GEMS members to take advantage of their preventative care benefit by having an influenza vaccination," Dr Goolab adds.

"Fortunately, the flu vaccine provides protection against many strains of influenza, and assists in preventing some of the more severe strains. Made of a chemically inactivated virus, the vaccine enables the body to learn and store the ‘code' of the flu virus so that the immune system is already armed to fight it if you are exposed to the virus."

The degree of protection afforded by the flu vaccination depends on various factors, including a patient's age, state of health, and the closeness of the "match" between the specific strains of influenza in circulation and those in the vaccine.

While the flu vaccine is safe for the majority of the population, people who should not have the vaccine include babies under six months of age; anyone with a severe allergy to chicken eggs; people who have experienced an extreme reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past or developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) or another complication within six weeks of a previous influenza vaccination. Anyone with a fever should wait until their symptoms lessen before they are vaccinated.

"The risks associated with vaccinations are extremely rare, and are hugely outweighed by the risks of developing the disease itself if one is not vaccinated. Talk to your family practitioner about which vaccinations you and your children should have, as a tiny percentage of people are severely allergic to certain ingredients contained in some types of vaccine," he advises.

"The influenza vaccine is available from most clinics and pharmacies, and some employers even offer it in the workplace, as they know the value of keeping their staff members healthy. We advise members to vaccinate now, as the vaccine takes a few weeks for the antibodies from the vaccine to develop to full preventative strength," Dr Goolab concludes.