Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Health officials urge public to receive flu shots this month
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Health officials are urging the public to get influenza vaccination this month as flu season is just around the corner. Influenza becomes rampant in early winter through spring and there has been an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with the disease in recent years.
According to data released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment in 2016, there were 1.06 million influenza patients, an increase of 250,000 compare to the previous year, with most infections taking place in December.
Many experts believe this year's cold wave is expected to be harsher than previous years as the country suffered a record-breaking heat wave during the summer.
Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated before the end of autumn to better protect themselves from catching the flu.
“It takes two weeks for the flu vaccination to kick in and it is effective for six months. December is when most people get infected so the public should get vaccinated before the end of November,” the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a press release.
“Not only for the elderly over 65, but starting this year five to 12 year olds could receive free vaccinations,” Gong In-shik, section chief of vaccination management division at the KCDC, said. “Children between 10 to 12 years old have the lowest vaccination rate. Children are very active, so they need to be vaccinated.”
Difference between flu and cold
There are still many people who believe flu is a severe case of the cold. However, the two are totally different.
A cold is derived from viruses including adeno, corona and rhino, while the flu is from influenza viruses.
Early signs of a cold are a cough, blocked nose and nasal discharge accompanied by a slight fever. On the other hand, flue creates a sudden high fever, severe headaches, chills, muscle aches and arthralgia. In serious cases a patient could die due to developing complications, especially the elderly who have a low-level of immunity.
Another difference is that a person can catch a cold regardless of the season, but the flu is focused in autumn to spring, becoming highly contagious during the cold period. Experts say the best prevention is a vaccination.
There are two different types of vaccinations based on their contents. One of them is made from chicken eggs and the other from cell incubation. There are 19 different kinds of chicken egg vaccines, and two different cell incubation vaccines that will be available to the public this year. If people are allergic to poultry or egg products they should not have the chicken egg vaccine and should consult with a doctor before getting a shot.
There is a common misconception that a person who has been diagnosed with the flu in the past does not have to get vaccinated as they have immunity from the virus. However, there are several different types of influenza, so even though they have recovered from a certain virus, there is the possibility they could be infected by another type. So doctors advise people to get vaccinated even though they had flu in the past.
Hygiene management crucial
Vaccination cannot block the flu 100 percent but it could drastically reduce the symptoms and death rate.
When a person has low immunity, they can develop flu complications and even die in severe cases. Health officials advise the elderly, babies and pregnant women to get vaccinated.
Most of the deaths are from the elderly over 65 years old who lack immunity. Many pregnant women have second thoughts about getting vaccinated, thinking it might harm their baby, but experts say they need to take virus inactivation vaccines. However, a doctor's consultation is advised if there were any allergic reactions from shots in the past.
Maintaining daily hygiene is crucial in containing the virus. The virus can be transmitted by air or orally, but it can also be transmitted through hand contact or sharing tools.
The flu virus can survive for over 12 hours in dry conditions, so doctors advise frequent washing of the hands and face.
Flu is very contagious so when infected, patients should follow cough etiquette or wear a mask to prevent spread.
When coughing, they should block their mouth with a handkerchief, their hands or tissues. If a person has low immunity, they should avoid being in crowded areas during the flu season.