-
With the return of autumn in the cold countries, bird flu, Swine flu and seasonal flu will likely emerge again in the headlines.
Immunisation will again be highly publicised and its usefulness for the general population again debated.
Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by various viruses. The symptoms commonly include sudden fever, chills and sweats, headache, aching muscles, fatigue and dry cough.
Most of the symptoms usually disappear after two to seven days, except for the cough, which can persist for a few weeks. There are also atypical forms with few or no symptoms, especially among children.
Flu is benign except for high-risk groups - people more prone to complications, especially bacterial infection of the lungs and pneumonia.
At greater risk are people with chronic diseases of the heart, lungs or kidneys or immune system, diabetics and severely obese individuals, those over 65, children under two, and pregnant women.
Contamination occurs mainly by being coughed or sneezed on by an infected person or in conversation with them. The risk of picking up their flu is highest within the first 24 hours and usually lingers for four or five days.
The first and most coherent treatment is confining the patient immediately and for at least five days. Wearing a mask is often recommended, but in practice its effectiveness is quite limited, since the virus is 1,000 times smaller that the pores in the mask material.
Treatment focuses on relieving the pain and fever. Antibiotics aren't necessarily given - they're useful only in preventing bacterial complications in the lungs. Antiviral drugs used within the first 48 hours can reduce the length of the illness and help prevent more serious problems. Due to their side effects, these products are not given to all patients and are usually reserved for high-risk individuals under medical supervision.
Immunisation appears to be the most effective preventive weapon. In the US, the Centres for Disease Control recommend that everyone older than six months get a yearly flu vaccine. France urges citizens over 65 and those at high risk of complications to be immunised annually.
Much controversy exists, however, concerning the efficacy of anti-flu vaccines. Vaccination has always been considered a "scientific dogma" and thus rarely challenged, but independent and scientifically sound studies have found only a modest protective effect in flu vaccine.
In 2005 Dr Tom Jefferson of Cochrane Vaccine Field in Rome analysed 64 international studies representing 2.5 millions cases and found that vaccines against flu diseases helped in just 23 per cent of the cases, far from the 85 per cent success rates often claimed.
Keep in mind that vaccination is a medical decision. Your physician is in the best position to assess your need for either of the two types of flu vaccines available. It's wise to keep up to date with the debate so you can better understand your doctor's recommendations.
Dr Gerard Lalande is managing director of CEO-Health, which provides medical referrals for expatriates and customised executive medical check-ups in Thailand. He can be contacted at gerard.lalande@ceo-health.com.
