I am 53 years old, have underlying diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, and often get the flu when the weather changes. Should I get the flu vaccine and any other vaccines to strengthen my respiratory system? (The Nhat, Ha Giang)
Reply:
Most respiratory diseases such as Covid-19, seasonal flu, whooping cough... are infectious diseases that are highly contagious through droplets when sick people talk, cough, or sneeze. In addition, healthy people can be infected by contact with infected objects such as clothes, daily necessities, etc.
When infected with Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses and bacteria such as influenza and pneumococcus, the lungs are often the first organs to be attacked and most severely damaged. If co-infected with Covid-19 and the above respiratory diseases, high-risk people such as the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions are more likely to be hospitalized, need respiratory support (oxygen, ventilator), and have a 2.4-fold increased risk of death.
In case you have asthma and flu, the inflamed respiratory tract will secrete a lot of mucus that blocks air from entering the lungs, triggering bronchial spasms, tightening the airways leading to difficulty breathing. If you are regularly treating asthma with medication and controlling your asthma well, the risk of complications when you have the flu will be lower. However, the flu is also the cause of acute asthma attacks, which can make asthma worse, causing secondary infections leading to pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Full vaccination helps asthma patients prevent influenza, avoid asthma attacks, which can cause difficulty breathing and be dangerous if not treated promptly. At the same time, it eliminates confusion about symptoms similar to Covid-19, protects the lungs, and prevents respiratory failure.
Elderly people get pneumococcal vaccine at VNVC. Photo: Moc Thao
Influenza vaccines reduce the risk of influenza virus infection by 70-90% in adults, reduce the risk of death in hospital by up to 80% and the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission by 40% in people over 65 years old; reduce the risk of death by 20% in patients with heart failure; reduce the risk of hospitalization for influenza by up to 80% in people with type 2 diabetes and 40% in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and reduce the rate of premature birth by 27% in pregnant women with influenza.
Compared to before vaccination, asthma patients were also noted to have a 40% reduction in the risk of asthma attacks. In addition, in your case, it is necessary to fully vaccinate other important respiratory vaccines such as pneumococcal vaccine, whooping cough - diphtheria - tetanus... to protect the lungs. You should wear a mask regularly, avoid close contact with people suspected of having the disease, live in a well-ventilated environment, have a healthy lifestyle such as avoiding tobacco, alcohol...
Currently, VNVC has a full range of respiratory vaccines such as Vaxigrip Tetra (France), Influvac Tetra (Netherlands) to prevent influenza; Prevenar 13 (Belgium) to prevent pneumonia and diseases caused by pneumococcus for adults; Synflorix (Belgium) to prevent diseases caused by pneumococcus for children under 5 years old; Boostrix vaccine (Belgium) to prevent whooping cough - diphtheria - tetanus...
Dr. Pham Hong Thuyet
Medical Management, VNVC Vaccination Center System
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