Having five kids, I am no stranger to sleepless nights caused by their illnesses and ailments. There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your child go through known childhood diseases such as influenza, mumps, chicken pox, measles and the likes. One good thing though is over the years, great drug companies like Sanofi Pasteur, continued to do research and produce vaccines to help preserve and extend human lives. Sanofi Pasteur is an active advocate for flu prevention in the Philippines – the Bakunado sa Flu campaign. What’s the big deal with flu?
The flu is a dreaded disease not only for children but for adults too. It is a highly contagious disease of the lungs caused by the influenza virus. It is viral so you can catch it from the surrounding; from someone who is sneezing or coughing; from close contact with someone who has the flu or from touching contaminated objects. It is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death among Filipinos. Research indicates that one out of 100 Filipinos is reported to develop an influenza-like illness every year. I have had numerous experiences with trangkaso, the latest of which was in August 2007.
My son contacted the disease while staying at the school dormitory. He called me one stormy morning and asked me to fetch him as he was feverish and was experiencing body aches. With typhoon signal # 3 about to break loose, I braved the flood and rain to fetch my son. My son barely made it walking to the car. He was running a 39-40°C fever and almost dehydrated. I drove like mad to get him home. As luck would have it, the street were live was flooded and my son had to wade in the flood to get home. He was almost delirious when my eldest daughter, a doctor, came home. She immediately hooked her brother to an IV and gave him a shot for his fever. The flu turned into something bacterial and my son had to take high-dose-expensive antibiotics for 7 days- missing school for a week. The influenza could have been prevented if only I did not forget to have my son immunized that year.
Flu season in the Philippines has its peak during the months of June to September. It is best to avail of the flu vaccine before the onset of the season. My daughter uses the brand Vaxigrip to immunize us. She buys the vaccine from a reputable drugstore and injects the whole family. The doctor in the family explains that the vaccine has a 70-90 percent efficacy and usually protects most people from the flu. Sometimes, a person who receives the flu vaccine can get the flu but will be far less sick than those without the vaccine. That is reason enough for me and my family to get our yearly shot.
Have you had your flu shot? If not, what are you waiting for? Go to your doctor for your bakuna. For more information go to http://www.bakuna.ph.
The flu is a dreaded disease not only for children but for adults too. It is a highly contagious disease of the lungs caused by the influenza virus. It is viral so you can catch it from the surrounding; from someone who is sneezing or coughing; from close contact with someone who has the flu or from touching contaminated objects. It is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death among Filipinos. Research indicates that one out of 100 Filipinos is reported to develop an influenza-like illness every year. I have had numerous experiences with trangkaso, the latest of which was in August 2007.
My son contacted the disease while staying at the school dormitory. He called me one stormy morning and asked me to fetch him as he was feverish and was experiencing body aches. With typhoon signal # 3 about to break loose, I braved the flood and rain to fetch my son. My son barely made it walking to the car. He was running a 39-40°C fever and almost dehydrated. I drove like mad to get him home. As luck would have it, the street were live was flooded and my son had to wade in the flood to get home. He was almost delirious when my eldest daughter, a doctor, came home. She immediately hooked her brother to an IV and gave him a shot for his fever. The flu turned into something bacterial and my son had to take high-dose-expensive antibiotics for 7 days- missing school for a week. The influenza could have been prevented if only I did not forget to have my son immunized that year.
Flu season in the Philippines has its peak during the months of June to September. It is best to avail of the flu vaccine before the onset of the season. My daughter uses the brand Vaxigrip to immunize us. She buys the vaccine from a reputable drugstore and injects the whole family. The doctor in the family explains that the vaccine has a 70-90 percent efficacy and usually protects most people from the flu. Sometimes, a person who receives the flu vaccine can get the flu but will be far less sick than those without the vaccine. That is reason enough for me and my family to get our yearly shot.
Have you had your flu shot? If not, what are you waiting for? Go to your doctor for your bakuna. For more information go to http://www.bakuna.ph.
“A Flu Awareness Campaign brought to you by Sanofi Pasteur”
0 special thoughts:
Post a Comment