Jakarta: Influenza (flu) should not be taken lightly, especially as the spread and transmission of flu becomes more vulnerable during a pandemic. Moreover, children are an age group that is susceptible to contracting the flu, which reaches 20 to 30 percent or higher than adults.
As a preventive measure, flu vaccination is recommended to be given to children regularly once every year, especially in the midst of this pandemic. Giving flu vaccine can reduce the risk of influenza and its complications in children by up to 60 percent.
The chairman of the Indonesia Influenza Foundation (IIF), Prof. DR. dr. Cissy B Kartasasmita, SpA(K)., said it is very important to take preventive steps so that children do not catch the flu.
“Especially during this pandemic, which allows coinfection between flu and COVID-19,” he said at the World Flu Day Virtual Press Conference, on Friday, November 19, 2021.
“One of the prevention steps can be done through vaccination if the child is over 6 months old. Regarding the vaccine rules, children under 9 years old who have never been given the flu vaccine need to be given 2 doses of flu vaccine, with a time lag between giving the first vaccine. and the second is 1 month apart. As for children over the age of 9 years, the flu vaccine must be given regularly every 1 year, “explained Prof. Cissy.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018, 3 to 5 million people worldwide are exposed to severe influenza infections every year. Of these, an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 people die per year.
WHO also recommends administering the seasonal influenza vaccine once a year to individuals, from six months of age to adulthood. Especially for high-risk groups, such as toddlers, the elderly, individuals with comorbidities (such as diabetes, heart disease, etc.), travelers and medical personnel.
(FIR)
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