Influenza outbreak in Thailand schools kills two children, vaccinations urged

[richard_smith237]

After the world (mostly) isolated for a while it was a couple of years there was a divergence between the antigenic drift of influenza and human resistance... 

 

I suspected it was a matter of time before there was an influenza outbreak which kicked our backsides after a couple of years of no-exposure (thus antibodies waned).

 

On the back of that, last year we each took the influenza vaccine and I'll do the same again this winter.

 

In the past, a couple of times we have flown back from the UK after Christmas and found ourselves struck with a stinking cold (or flu) - If the vaccine prevents a couple of weeks or misery, I'm for it. 

 

There's no telling if it worked last year... but If I take the Influenza vaccine for a 10 year period at winter and do not catch a serious cold or influenza then I'll consider the vaccine a success... 

 

In the past with frequent travel to various areas exposure is simply expected.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, connda said:

In the meanwhile, how many kids have got killed on Thai road in the last week?  Shouldn't cars be banned or at least children should no longer be allowed to be passengers in cars or no motorcycles.  "For the safety of the children!"

The Thai roads point is a valid argument...   and as you mentioned, there was a clear comorbidity in the two cases discussed in the article. 

 

That doesn't diminish the validity behind the ideology to take an Influenza vaccine, while the flu may not kill us, no one wants it, and if a vaccine reduces the chances of us catching influenza, then it's a good thing - I've had too many holidays ruined by contracting something cr@ppy on a flight !... 

 

 

 

[xylophone]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I suspected it was a matter of time before there was an influenza outbreak which kicked our backsides after a couple of years of no-exposure (thus antibodies waned).

You make some good points in your post and this one in particular above has prompted me to book an appointment next week to get the flu vaccination, a freebie, courtesy of my health insurance policy.

 

I don't remember having a flu vaccination in the past, but I have been checking on my vaccinations over my lifetime and they include: – polio, measles, mumps, rubella, TB, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, many tetanus jabs, immunoglobulin (for yellow fever) and three Covid vaccinations here in Thailand, and I got no side-effects from any of these, so I don't suppose another flu jab would go amiss!

 

Thanks for the reminder.

[BayArea]

20 hours ago, swm59nj said:

The flu can cause serious illness.   Instead of drinking those five beers or more a day. Save your money and get vaccinated.  

 

 

Better yet, drink liquor.  No sugar, no carbs and low calories. Quick buzz and has better health benefits! 

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Peabody said:

Do you really not grasp sarcasm staring you in the face?  ????   Has a lot of alcohol dimmed your reasoning?

Obviously it can get overlooked.... we do get such conspiracy comments on here, often from relatively new posters. I see it was taken seriously enough to have been removed! Try a laughing emoticon...the one in this post did the job.. I may have been overly susceptible after having my ear bent by a conspiracy nut all the way from Ekamai to Pattaya just the day before. 

[Rimmer]

A misinformation post and replies contravening our Community Standards has been removed.    

[WashingUpagain]

Increase your intake of Zinc and garlic. It's all about T cells, after the age of 50 they diminish. T cells keep you alive but you must energise their potency with the above, also get your Vitamin D from 20 minutes of lovely sunshine every day as the body can extract very little from foods and synthesised pills.

[Photoguy21]

On 10/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, spidermike007 said:

It has been 45 years or so since I got a flu shot. Still alive. Many argue they help, and I am not opposed to them. I just prefer to bolster my immune system. There are countless ways to do that.

I have had only 2 shots for flu in my life and then it was only because it gave me a break from the job i was doing.

[Dogmatix]

Half of my son's kindy class are sick at the moment, at least two with RSV.

 

The US FDA recently approved the first RSV vaccine from Glaxo Smith Kline and it is now being rolled out in the US.  When will be available in Thailand? Not even mentioned in the OP.