This material has been prepared in response to the questions of parents of our young patients. After all, every pediatrician at MM “Dobrobut” empathizes with the concerns of parents at every appointment and shares their anxiety over a sick child. We hope that this information will help alleviate your fears and dispel some of the myths associated with the flu.
The questions were answered by Natalia Oleksandrivna Bravistova, Head of the Children's Polyclinic in Holosiiv District, pediatrician, and immunologist.
Please tell us, is the flu this year just panic, hysteria, or is it really a serious issue? Are we perhaps just being scared to distract from other problems in the country?
It is no secret that a flu epidemic is not declared when a doctor sees the first or even the tenth patient with suspected flu, or even a lab-confirmed case of the flu, but much later. The number of cases and the speed of spread distinguish a seasonal outbreak from an epidemic. The first cases of flu in the Dobrobut medical network were suspected and treated even before the general panic set in, at the end of December-beginning of January.
The medical teams acted calmly, as they do every year, conducting tests, hospitalizing patients, prescribing antiviral drugs and antibiotics when necessary, advising on how to monitor sick children, and how to manage contact with others. When it became clear that the 2016 epidemic was much more dangerous than initially thought, additional measures were taken. The flu epidemic was declared not only in Ukraine but also in other European countries.
Is it true that many people have died from the flu?
Since the beginning of the 2015-2016 flu season, according to operational data, 319 lab-confirmed deaths from the flu have been registered in Ukraine, five of whom were children under 17 years old (in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava regions).
What type of flu is currently circulating—avian, swine, or Californian? And which one causes more deaths? I’m so confused...
This flu season, several strains of the flu virus are circulating at the same time. However, in 2016, the predominant virus in Ukraine and other European countries is influenza A (H1N1)pdm09, which is also known as “swine flu” or “Californian flu.” Interestingly, in North America this winter, it has been relatively quiet. The highest death toll caused by this virus occurred during its first major outbreaks in 1918-1920 (then known as the “Spanish flu”) and in the 1940s-1950s.
Currently, the influenza A virus has mutated, acquiring new characteristics. The ability to mutate is the primary trait of any virus, which allows it to effectively survive in our world. The influenza A virus has proven to be particularly "gifted" in this respect. This year, the flu virus has once again become more aggressive.
At the end of this article, you will find a map showing the global spread of different flu viruses during this epidemic season. The data is updated by WHO specialists every two weeks.
Why did “Dobrobut” stop administering Infanrix vaccinations during the flu outbreak this year? It’s strange, as some medical centers continued vaccinating. Was this restriction not for everyone?
On February 2, 2016, the Main Department of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Kyiv issued a letter to the Director of the Health Department of the Kyiv City Council, temporarily prohibiting routine immunization of children and polio immunization rounds due to the complicated flu epidemic.
There is a reasonable justification for this, both legislatively and practically. The law of Ukraine “On Population Protection from Infectious Diseases” includes Article 32, “Restrictive Anti-Epidemic Measures”: “Restrictive anti-epidemic measures are imposed by local executive bodies and local self-government based on the recommendation of the chief state sanitary doctor in cases where there is an outbreak of an infectious disease in a particular settlement, children’s institution, or school, or an adverse epidemiological situation threatens the spread of infectious diseases. Activities that may contribute to the spread of infectious diseases are subject to restriction. The type and duration of restrictive anti-epidemic measures depend on the nature of the infectious disease, the state of the epidemiological situation, and the factors influencing it.”
Thus, conducting vaccinations during a flu epidemic is considered a situation that poses a risk of spreading the flu.
Think about it: unfortunately, there are no separate facilities in our country that deal solely with the vaccination of healthy children. This means that the contact between healthy and sick children at medical institutions is inevitable. The likelihood of contracting the flu is quite high; according to official data, during the flu season, 50% of the population falls ill over 1-1.5 months—that is, every second person. Furthermore, we cannot fully understand the “character” of this new flu strain. For some reason, this year’s strain has proven to be more aggressive than in previous years. So why subject young children, who are due for vaccinations, to unnecessary risk? Especially since the restriction on vaccinations was temporary, and immunization has since resumed, with the number of flu patients having sharply declined. Vaccinations were suspended at our medical center for only two weeks during the peak of flu cases.
Should we expect another wave of flu, and how should we prepare for it?
According to long-term monitoring of epidemic processes, a second wave is possible but not guaranteed. The only reliable preparation for the flu is vaccination, which is most effective in October-November. In other cases, you should rely on general hygiene practices (humidifying the air indoors, handwashing, nasal irrigation, and regular walks with your child in the fresh air) and limit contact with sick individuals.
