Flu outbreak prompts vaccine warning

A flu outbreak in Jersey in recent weeks has prompted a warning from the Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) about the importance of receiving a vaccine.

 

HSSD has confirmed an increase in laboratory-confirmed influenza in Jersey. An increase has also been seen in Scotland and Northern Ireland but there has been a decrease in activity in England.  The majority of cases seen in Jersey involve the A H1N1 virus and many positive cases are in the 15-64-year-old group, particularly 15-44-year-olds, including both otherwise well individuals and those with underlying illnesses/conditions such as diabetes and asthma.

 

Dr Ivan Muscat, Consultant Microbiologist, said it was essential that those within targeted groups seek the protection offered by the vaccine, which is available from GP surgeries.

 

“The young, the elderly, those with underlying illness, pregnant women and now, increasingly, school children are the target groups for flu vaccine,” he said. “There has been a low uptake among those with underlying illness in the 15-64 year old age range – just 26% of those eligible have had it, in contrast to 45% in England.

 

“We would particularly urge people in the 15-64 age group with underlying medical such as diabetes, chronic respiratory, heart, renal or neurological disease and immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, as well as pregnant women, to ensure they are vaccinated if they haven’t been already. Vaccination remains the best preventative measure against flu. The fact that it is relatively late in the flu ‘season’ should not prevent people from protecting themselves.”

 

Dr Muscat said that patients with flu-like illness were currently receiving the antiviral medication oseltamivir from their GPs in order to reduce the severity of illness and spread of infection.

 

“As always, good hand and respiratory hygiene are also very important in reducing spread,” he concluded. “It is hoped that the increasing roll-out of the nasal flu vaccination for school children over the coming years will achieve greater protection against flu amongst both children and, as a result of decreased transmission, the population at large.”