At last Friday’s COVID-19 briefing, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour announced the commencement of the Public Health Department’s flu vaccine programme, set to begin next month.
Seymour urged all members of the public to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible and to take advantage of the flu vaccine programme once it becomes available in October.
The flu, a common illness that afflicts many individuals during the coldest times of the year, can lead to other illnesses as well as hospital stays, and, in the worst cases, death.
A concerted effort by the public to be vaccinated against the flu will minimise the numbers of hospital visits and the occurrences of flu-related illness that will likely strain medical resources. The more individuals who receive the vaccine, the more resources can be saved for the treatment of severe illnesses like COVID-19.
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the viruses that cause flu and COVID-19 will be on the move throughout the autumn and winter months. The tendency of both viruses to spread highlights the urgent need for members of the public to receive the flu vaccine.
Seymour also reminded the public that flu vaccines help reduce the strain on hospitals and medical facilities whilst also keeping the most elderly and other vulnerable members of the Cayman population as safe as possible.
Seymour pointed out that the combined effect of the flu vaccine and policies that insist that unwell people stay home from work and school can prevent flu cases and flu-related illnesses in the most vulnerable individuals.
Chronic health issues like lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can worsen if a case of the flu is identified in an individual suffering from either. As well, a flu diagnosis may lead to hospitalisation for individuals who live with diabetes.
Flu vaccinations have other health benefits as well as the prevention of the illness. Flu shots have been linked to a reduction in cardiac events among individuals who live with heart disease, especially if a previous cardiac event has taken place in the last twelve months. Also, people with diabetes and lung disease are less likely to be hospitalised if they are vaccinated against the flu.
