Seasonal or rare flu strains no match for well-informed public
TIGHT WATCH AGAINST BIRD FLU. Migratory birds are seen at the Coastal Lagoon, Parañaque City on Tuesday. Malacanang has ordered government agencies to double their efforts to ensure that the A (H1N1) bird flu virus does not enter the country. The Department of Health says that the Philippines is still free from the potential deadly virus despite reports that cases have been found in neighboring countries. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
It’s understandable for Filipinos to feel panicky about the recent news of a mutant strain of the deadly H5N1 virus—also known as bird flu—spreading in neighboring Asian countries.
While the new strain does not appear to pose an increased risk to human health, memories of the over 5,000 Filipinos who got infected (not to mention the more than 30 who were killed) by another flu virus, the influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, surely come as a scary reminder.
Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager of the Health department’s Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, reminds the public that they should strengthen their resistance and immune system because flu viruses are always changing itself genetically to catch us off-guard.
In fact, a flu virus succeeded in doing so in 1918 and was able to kill an estimated 50 million people or a fifth of the world’s population.
“This is the reason we are always monitoring any developments around the world and are constantly mobilizing our people to heighten preparedness and surveillance just to make sure no new virus strain enters the country or at least minimize its impact if it ever gets in,” Lee Suy says.
While the Philippines was spared from the brunt of the 2006 bird flu that affected at least 63 countries (of which 565 were infected and 331 killed), that occurrence represented a significant threat that concerned health experts all over the world about its potential to become a human pandemic.
May be prevented
But according to infectious diseases expert Dr. Cecilia Montalban, flu virus infection may effectively be prevented if the public will just maintain good household and personal hygiene.
“Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing, sneezing or talking by an individual infected with flu virus. Sometimes, people may become infected by touching something—such as a surface or object—with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. This is why practices such as observing cough manners and proper hand washing could do so much in preventing the spread of the virus,” says Montalban, who is also a past president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
The doctor suggests that flu vaccine is among the most important steps in protecting against flu infection.
Because the dominant strains of the flu change every flu season, the flu vaccine has to be redesigned each year. Last season and for this year, a 2009 H1N1 vaccine that protects against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus is included to address the recent pandemic that involved this particular strain.
The World Health Organization meets twice a year, in February and September, when experts discuss and decide on the makeup of candidate influenza vaccines.
While getting the flu vaccine isn’t a guarantee that one will not get the flu, experts say that this doesn’t mean one should skip it.
This is especially true of individuals who are at high risk for flu complications.
Young children, older adults and those with outlying health conditions are the most likely to have severe and even life-threatening complications from the flu (to learn more about flu, log on to www.bakuna.ph or ask a doctor).
“It’s crucial that these individuals get vaccinated. While it may not be perfect, the flu vaccine is the best defense we have at the moment,” Montalban concludes.
