There have been five deaths as a result of the influenza virus since the beginning of the flu season in October. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said while the vaccination numbers are encouraging, he is urging more people to get vaccinated, especially pregnant people and those with non-communicable diseases.

Deyalsingh was speaking at the NWRHA's influenza vaccination outreach at the Brian Lara Promenade on Friday. He said he was encouraged by the number of people who had taken the vaccine since the start of the vaccination programme on October 28.

“So far we have given out 15,913 doses in the last three weeks, which is very good since we gave out 26,000 over the entire six-month flu season last year. It shows that the population is not vaccine wary, which was a concern. There have been 749 cases of the flu detected since the season began.

“Our target populations are those with chronic diseases and pregnant women. We have vaccinated 7,149 people with chronic diseases but only 136 pregnant people. The challenge is to get them to come in to be vaccinated, as they fear the vaccine will hurt the child when the opposite is true. If they get vaccinated, the child has six months protection when it is born.”

Deyalsingh said 187 children under the age of five had been vaccinated, with 892 doses being administered to children over five, and 6,932 adults had been given vaccines. He said 617 health workers had been vaccinated.

Acting director of health at the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) Dr Antony Parkinson said the influenza virus affected mostly young people aged six months to eight years old, and those over 50. He reminded that the virus can make people sick very quickly, unlike the common cold where the symptoms take longer to develop and leave.

“The flu attacks when your immunity is lowered, and this particular strain attacks your lungs and causes pneumonia. You will be having difficulty breathing. Oxygen would not be passing your lungs to get to your bloodstream and therefore you would be short of breath and breathing fast quickly. You will have a fever, you may be delirious, you may be dehydrated because you were vomiting, diarrhoea may have occurred with it, and you may be disoriented.

“When you come to the hospital, we will try to rehydrate you carefully and also try to administer oxygen to you. The simplest way is to put the oxygen mask on, and we hope that’s the most we have to do. If you developed a secondary bacterial infection, we would give you antibiotics. Hopefully you don’t have to reach the intensive care unit.”

Parkinson said the only preventative measure against the worst effects of the virus is to get the vaccine, which would also lessen the effects of the common cold.

He said pregnant people were especially at risk for experiencing the worst effects of the virus, as having a baby meant their immune system was suppressed to some extent. He appealed to mothers especially to get vaccinated.

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