As you know Australia is a country known for its culture and diverse landscape, apart from this the country has to deal with Influenza every year. According to recent studies by medical authorities and medical professionals, stated that massive Flu vaccination is important for curing it. We will explore the importance of flu vaccination in Australia, the benefits of flu vaccination, what to consider, and how compounding services make vaccines more accessible for us in this post.
What is Flu?
Flu is also known as Influenza, which is an infection of the lungs, throat, and nose, all of them are part of our respiratory system. Virus is the main reason by which Flu is caused. Influenza is commonly known as the Flu, but it’s different from stomach flu which causes vomiting or diarrhoea. Most people get relief from the Flu themselves.
Sometimes, the complications of the Flu can be harmful to health. Some groups of people are at higher risk of having flu complications:
Children aged 12 months or above.
Pregnant mothers or newborn mothers
Senior citizens above 65 years old.
People who have a weak immune system.
People with a BMI of 40 or above.
People who are suffering from Nervous System Disorders
What are the Impacts of Influenza
Basically, the impacts of Influenza include pneumonia, ear infection, extreme dehydration, or worse medical conditions, for example, congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. The flu can be mortal in elderly people, people with chronic diseases, or anyone with a weak immune system.
What are the symptoms of Influenza?
Initially, the flu may be like a cold runny nose, or sore throat. Then the cold starts slowly. The flu tends to come very often. By the time the cold gets miserable, you will feel much worse with the flu.
Other symptoms include:
Headache.
Dry, persistent cough.
Shortness of breath.
Tiredness and weakness.
Runny or stuffy nose.
Sore throat.
Eye pain.
Vomiting and diarrhoea also are flu symptoms. But they are more common in children than in adults.
What is the impact of the influenza vaccine?
Flu vaccine side effects are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days. Some side effects that may occur from a flu shot include soreness, redness, and/or swelling where the shot was given, headache (low grade), fever, nausea, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Advantages of Flu Vaccination
Here are the advantages of flu vaccination:
Flu vaccination helps you keep away from getting sick with the flu.
The flu vaccine prevents many people from getting ill because of the flu. The vaccine also prevents doctor visits every year. For example, during 2019-2020, the last flu season before the COVID-19 pandemic, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 7 million influenza illnesses, 3 million influenza-associated medical visits, 100,000 influenza-associated hospitalisations, and 7,000 influenza-associated deaths.
Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce the severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.
A study in 2021 showed that in the number of adults hospitalised with flu, the vaccinated patients had a 26% lower risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and a 31% lower risk of death from flu compared with those who were unvaccinated.
Flu vaccination will decrease the risk of flu-associated hospitalisation.
The flu vaccine prevents thousands of hospitalisations every year. For example, In 2019-2020, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 1 lakh flu-related hospitalisations. A report in 2018 showed that as compared to previous years, flu vaccination amongst adults has reduced the risk of being admitted to an ICU with flu by 82%.
Flu vaccination is a preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions.
People with heart disease who have received the flu vaccination have been linked to lower rates of specific cardiac events, particularly if they have experienced a cardiac event within the previous year. Getting vaccinated against the flu can lower the chance that a chronic lung condition, such as hospitalised chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), will deteriorate due to the flu.
Flu vaccination during pregnancy helps protect pregnant people
Numerous studies have demonstrated that a flu vaccination administered during pregnancy not only helps pregnant women avoid contracting the virus, but it also shields the unborn child from the flu for several months after delivery, when the child is too young to receive a vaccination.
Flu vaccines can be lifesaving for children.
A study in 2022 showed that flu vaccination reduced children’s risk of severe life-threatening influenza by 75%. A 2020 study found that during the 2018-2019 flu season, flu vaccination reduced flu-related hospitalisation by 41% and flu-related emergency department visits by half among children (aged 6 months to 17 years old).
Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
Conclusion
Vaccination against influenza is an essential public health measure in Australia that provides defence against the illness and its potentially dangerous side effects. People may contribute to community immunity, protect vulnerable populations, and protect their health by getting the flu shot every year. Furthermore, compounding services make influenza vaccinations more accessible by guaranteeing that people with particular needs or preferences can obtain customised vaccination regimens. Let us prioritise flu vaccination as a proactive approach to improve health, prevent sickness, and fortify our communities resistance against influenza epidemics as we face the challenges of flu season each year.
