Caution! Be Extremely Careful with this year Influenza!

It's that time of the year again for influenza vaccinations. It seems that this year, we should raise our level of caution for influenza even higher than usual.

 

[Worldwide Influenza Situation]

Due to moving restrictions and the widespread use of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of influenza cases has significantly decreased in countries worldwide. Now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in various countries, there is an increasing sense of alertness to the possibility of a large influenza outbreak worldwide.

The current status of influenza outbreaks is as shown in the chart below (as of August 2023).

 

 

Countries shown in yellow have a high incidence of influenza. Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, already have a relatively high incidence of influenza at this time. In Japan, there have been instances of school closures due to summer influenza outbreaks, which is an unusual situation compared to previous years. This raises concerns about what might happen with the influenza outbreak during the upcoming winter season.

 

[Influenza Prevention through Vaccination]

Influenza viruses can cause symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, headache, and muscle pain. To prevent infection with the influenza virus and other severe illness, influenza vaccination is effective! Our clinic offers influenza vaccines that are effective against four strains, just like in Japan (2 strains of type A and 2 strains of type B, making it a quadrivalent vaccine). It is said that sufficient immunity develops 2-4 weeks after vaccination, and its effectiveness lasts for approximately 5 months. We recommend getting vaccinated between mid-October and mid-December. Please note that children under the age of 9 years will need to receive two doses (with a one-month interval), so we recommend getting the first dose by mid-November.

In preparation for the winter outbreak, whether you get vaccinated every year or not, please consider getting the vaccine. Influenza infection rates are already on the rise, so when visiting the clinic, we recommend wearing a mask.

For more information or making a rervations, please contact below:
Phone: 024-3718-1000 
Email: info@sakurahanoi.com