Dr Jacques Snyman, Director of Product Development at Agility Global Health Solutions [Africa] Photo: AGHS [Africa]
Get a flu vaccination to guard against the most virulent strains
Alarming statistics highlighting that flu and pneumonia are the leading underlying natural cause of death among the people of Limpopo have prompted a leading healthcare administrator and medical scheme to urge the people of the region to protect themselves against influenza this coming winter.
“The last three consecutive annual Mortality and Causes of Death in South Africa studies, conducted by Statistics South Africa, revealed that this common ailment and its associated complications are cause for great concern,” says Dr Jacques Snyman, Director of Product Development at Agility Global Health Solutions [Africa].
“The change in seasons often corresponds with an increase in flu cases, which can lay even the healthiest individuals low for up to two weeks and may result in dangerous complications, including pneumonia,” he notes.
“People with underlying health conditions, such as heart or lung conditions, and immune compromised patient, including those who are HIV-positive or have cancer for example, may be more susceptible to contract pneumonia and even die of flu.”
He asserts that getting a flu vaccine offers considerable protection against most flu strains. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States corroborates this and recently confirmed that the vaccine meaningfully reduces hospitalisation and death rates, especially in at-risk patients. It also reported that vaccination is a cost-effective counter-measure to seasonal outbreaks of flu.
“We therefore urge the people of Limpopo, and South Africans in general, to take precautions against spreading the virus and to consider having the flu vaccination. For most people, contracting flu is an unpleasant experience from which we recover within a few days or, at most, two weeks. However, children under the age of five, the elderly, HIV-positive individuals, diabetes and asthma sufferers, among others, may be at particularly high risk of developing serious flu complications such as pneumonia.”
“While the vaccine may not offer a complete safeguard from flu, it does offer a good measure of protection. In addition, the vaccine may significantly reduce the severity of the symptoms and the risk of complications. This is strongly evidenced in the statistics of Resolution Health Medical Scheme (Resolution Health), one of the schemes under Agility Africa’s administration,” Dr Snyman observes.
“Data shared by Resolution Health reveals that as much as a third to half of high-risk patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), who did not have the flu vaccine, end up in hospital. The data furthermore shows that those who do have the flu vaccine administered have a substantially lower hospital admission rate,” asserts Dr Snyman.
Dr Snyman points out that there is another important aspect to the vaccine: the more people who have the vaccine, the better the protection among the population against a general flu outbreak. According to Dr Snyman, we not only protect ourselves when we have the vaccination, we also protect others who may be more vulnerable to an outbreak of the virus, such as our children, the elderly and HIV-positive individuals. We may also protect our colleagues in the workplace.
According to Debbie Valentini, General Manager: Marketing and Communications Agility [Africa], Agility recently embarked on a road show in Limpopo to get to grips with local concerns and better understand how its product offerings can be tailored to the particular needs of individuals, communities and employers in the province.
“Analysing health trends in the province helps us to better grasp how we can make a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of the communities in Limpopo. In a province where flu and pneumonia were recorded as the leading natural cause of death for three consecutive years, individuals choosing to take the precaution of having a flu vaccination can help contribute to the collective health of their communities,” she concludes.
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