While I fully understand the dangers of the Coronavirus, have a...

While I fully understand the dangers of the Coronavirus, have a look at the deaths from influenza each year!!

Do we see our financial markets react to these figures?

Not even a blip on the radar.......

Global HealthMatters

27th June 2019

By AbrahamPalache

This blog wasoriginally published on HealthAwareness Value of Vaccines 2019 campaign on 27 June 2019.

Influenza is ahighly infectious disease that usually strikes during the winter season.Globally, it causes an estimated one billion cases of influenza, resulting in290,000 to 650,000 deaths per year. A person can get the virus simply by beingnear an infected person that coughs, sneezes or talks, or by touching somethingwith the virus on it.

The intensity andseverity of influenza season varies between years, fluctuating between mild tovery serious episodes in some years. For instance, the Spanish influenzapandemic of 1918 is estimated to have killed up to 50 million people over twoyears, after having infected one-third (around 500 million people) of theglobal population. In comparison, the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak killed, in thesame time span, around 11,000 people.

Some people aremore at risk than others

Although everyone canbe affected, some people are more at risk than others, such as the elderly,people with chronic diseases (such as heart disease and diabetes), youngchildren, pregnant women and healthcare professionals. The most effective wayto prevent the disease is vaccination, which is especially important forpeople at high risk of influenza, as mentioned above. Studies show thatinfluenza vaccination in patients with heart conditions can reduce the chanceof a secondary heart attack by upto 67%.

Annual vaccine iskey to combat virus mutations

Safe and effectivevaccines are available and have been used for more than 60 years. Immunity frominfluenza vaccination wanes over time and the virus mutates continuously.Therefore, annual vaccination is recommended to protect against influenza.Regardless of the natural variation of the vaccine benefits, influenzavaccination always reduces severity of disease, complications (such aspneumonia) and death.

Yet, in spite of itsknown safety and benefits, influenza vaccination rates are unfortunately low,even among those most at risk. There is a perception the disease is not thatserious, or that the vaccine is not particularly effective. Othermisconceptions, combined with a growing mistrust of vaccination can causehesitance to be vaccinated at all.

If you want to learnmore about influenza, visit reliable sources such as theWorld Health Organization, or ask your doctor or pharmacist.

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