Flu prevention campaign underway

Influenza season is almost upon us and the dangers are real for the community’s most vulnerable.

The Department of Social Affairs and Health wants to remind all citizens that the time for prevention is now. The only effective protection against flu is the vaccination. This serves a twofold purpose in that it keeps the person vaccinated from contracting the flu in the first place, which in turn prevents them from spreading the virus that causes it.

The elderly, people with chronic diseases and pregnant women are those who run the highest risk, though the flu can be dangerous for anyone. This easily transmittable disease can be dispersed simply by shaking hands with someone infected or being in close contact with an infected person who is coughing.

As the virus mutates from year to year, no two strains of flu are the same. A person must be immunised yearly for it to be effective and must also be vaccinated well in advance of the arrival of the virus so the body can form the proper antibodies. The best time to be treated is now, as the virus usually finds its way to the population by the end of October.

The vaccine for the predicted 2019/2020 virus is available now at all local pharmacies and can be administered by your doctor.