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Not only for flu

SINGAPORE — High fever, sore throat, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain are classic signs of flu, but they are also similar to the symptoms of an Ebola infection.

Everyone in the family should be vaccinated, not just the old and young.

Everyone in the family should be vaccinated, not just the old and young.

SINGAPORE — High fever, sore throat, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain are classic signs of flu, but they are also similar to the symptoms of an Ebola infection.

“Flu vaccination may help to exclude the possibility of flu infection, which has similar symptoms (to Ebola infection),” said infectious disease expert Dr Leong Hoe Nam of Rophi Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre.

Even if the deadly viral infection does not hit our shores, an annual flu jab can save lives. Dr Leong said about 200 of 100,000 elderly aged 65 years and above die from flu-related complications every year.

Dr Indumathi Venkatachalam, associate consultant at the Division of Infectious Diseases at National University Hospital, said a flu infection can become deadly when it causes pneumonia, encephalitis (brain infection) or myocarditis (heart muscle infection).

About one in 10 people who catch the flu will be ill enough to need hospitalisation, said Dr Leong. In his practice, he sees three to five of such cases each week during the peak flu periods from May to July, and from December to February.

One example is Dr Leong’s patient, a 49-year-old businessman. He spent a whopping S$139,000 on medical treatment after suffering a bout of flu in January. It started with a simple cough, but the infection almost killed him when it attacked his lungs. He was hospitalised for 28 days, during which he also battled kidney and heart malfunction. Fortunately, he survived the ordeal.

Dr Leong added: “The flu that will not harm the average healthy adult will harm at-risk groups such as adults with chronic illnesses.

“There is strong evidence to show that when you have had a heart attack, you can prevent the second one with a flu jab. This is because the flu virus puts such a strain on the heart that it can cause another attack.”

SingHealth Polyclinics administered more than 5,000 flu vaccinations from January to June this year. However, Dr Leong feels that the take-up rate can be improved. In a 2009 study by a local hospital, it was found that about one in 10 patients admitted into the emergency department tested positive for flu.

Flu vaccination should be done annually, as the vaccine is adjusted to cover different flu strains that change every year, said Dr Venkatachalam.

“Flu vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness by about 60 per cent, with the best vaccine response seen among healthy adults and children. The elderly or people with chronic diseases can be protected indirectly when their healthy family members are vaccinated,” he added.

To be safe, however, Dr Leong encourages everyone to go for the flu jab.

“You have to recognise that your family members can be carriers for the infection. They can be the ones who can kill the aged by passing on the flu virus,” he said.

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