Who needs a flu shot?

Recently, many people have vaccinated themselves to prevent the flu and some people think it is to prevent bird flu. Who should be vaccinated and vaccinated? Dr. Nguyen Dac Tho - deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Medicine Center - said:

Vaccine Vaxigrip at Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City

- We need to distinguish between the flu and the common cold. And it should be clear to people that the current flu vaccination (Vaxigrip) is a vaccine containing three human influenza strains: two types A (H1N1, H3N3) and one type B, not for injection. prevention of avian influenza (influenza A / H5N1) for people that the world is interested in.

The general flu in people with two types of risk is: influenza type A and type B. Influenza type A has two H1N1 viruses and H3N2 - this type of poultry origin. Type A influenza is often a complication for the elderly and children (due to weak resistance). So every year, Western countries often get flu shots for the elderly and children.

And type B flu is only found in humans. Type B flu is usually milder, occurring in Asian countries - including Vietnam. In Vietnam, especially in the southern provinces - including Ho Chi Minh City, flu rarely develops epidemics and disease progresses slightly, so vaccination is not an urgent requirement. Moreover, the price is also expensive - about VND 170,000 / adult. If people need it, vaccination will be carried out in certain subjects such as the elderly and children.

According to the World Health Organization, for those who are working in constant contact with poultry such as breeding, buying and selling, slaughtering poultry, veterinarians . it is recommended to vaccinate this vaccine. To limit, do not create a co-infection with many types of influenza A viruses and to help reverse the strain.

Regarding the influenza vaccination address, in Ho Chi Minh City, there is Pasteur Institute, City Preventive Medicine Center and at the vaccination points of preventive medicine teams in the district.

KIM SON performs