Young and old should get vaccinated: HPB

From TODAY, Voices
Thursday September 4, 2008

Tan Hui Leng
huileng@mediacorp.com.sg

THE Health Promotion Board (HPB) is going beyond its usual hygiene advice of covering your mouth and washing your hands in this year’s influenza prevention campaign.

Instead, it is singling out vulnerable groups — the very young and elderly — as those who should be vaccinated.

According to a study by the Health Ministry and Singapore General Hospital, an average of 588 deaths here was attributed to the flu every year from 1996 to 2003.

Particularly vulnerable to the virus are children and the elderly.

The elderly are 11.3 times more likely to die from flu as compared to younger adults, the study found.

“Influenza, while being a relatively manageable infection for most people, can pose a serious risk for the very young, the elderly and people suffering from medical conditions such as lung diseases, diabetes, cancer, kidney or heart problems,” said the HPB in a media release.

“For these people, the infection can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia and even death.”

So, the HPB campaign — which includes a series of advertisements and awareness talks — will target parents of children aged six months to five years and those with elderly parents aged 65 years and above.

Those who fall within these groups are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated.