Dr Sharon Chan
KOTA KINABALU (Aug 17): Consultant paediatrician at KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital, Dr Sharon Chan Pek Suan, has urged parents to get their children vaccinated against influenza in view of the rising number of cases caused by the virus.
“Influenza is back with a vengeance.
“Over the past two weeks, more than 80 per cent of patients admitted to the paediatric ward (in KPJ Sabah) were children who contracted influenza, most of whom were unvaccinated.”
She said the number of influenza cases had surged in January and February 2020, but the figure later dropped drastically due to the lockdown and closure of schools, kindergartens and day care centres during the movement control order (MCO) in March.
“Now that children are going back to schools and day care centres, we are seeing a resurgence of influenza among kids.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 300,000 and 600,000 people die of influenza annually, she said.
“Five to 10 per cent of adults, and up to 20 per cent of children, get influenza a year.”
She said influenza is primarily spread through airborne transmission, when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can also be contracted when a person touches a surface that is contaminated with the virus.
For children, the main symptoms are high fever between 40 and 41 degrees Celsius, reduced appetite, cough, flu, body aches, malaise and in certain cases, diarrhoea, she said.
Dr Chan said influenza differs from common flu in that the former has more severe side effects, such as higher fever.
Those who are at risk of being infected with influenza are children, especially toddlers below the age of two, elderly folks and individuals with comorbidities such as diabetes and heart disease.
“Sometimes the serious side effects can cause pneumonia, sinus infection, encephalitis (brain inflammation) and even death.”
Therefore, she stressed the need for the whole family, not just children and elderly folks, to get the flu vaccine in order to create a safe cocoon for the high-risk groups. Pregnant women should also be vaccinated against the virus in their second trimester, she said.
The vaccine for influenza is not expensive as it is under RM100, she added.
She said children can be vaccinated as young as six months old and the flu vaccine should be administered yearly for both children and adults to protect them against influenza.
Dr Chan said those who are vaccinated will experience milder symptoms and only require supportive treatment.
“The treatment for influenza patients include taking fever medication and antiviral drug for five days.
“Influenza patients who are hospitalized are mainly due to their low intake of fluid, and thus they will be put on intravenous drip for hydration and antiviral medication.”
Dr Chan said more than 80 per cent of the children admitted in paediatric ward were sick due to Influenza A, the more common type of influenza that inflict more severe symptoms.
“A large number of the young influenza patients were under five years old and most of them were unvaccinated.”
She said hospitalization could upset family dynamics as parents have to take time off work to take care of their children, who will also feel stressful at the sight of their sick kids.
She pointed out that influenza is present all year round in Malaysia and therefore it is important for people to get vaccinated.
“Prevention is always better than cure.”