By The SUN
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| POLO will give free flu jabs to qualified persons every Sunday and Tuesday starting on Oct 9 |
Health officials again issued calls on Friday for people to get vaccinated against the flu ahead of the onset of winter, saying people who come down with it and Covid-19 at the same time, could suffer severe symptoms.
The call came at a press conference, during which the Centre for Health Protection also reported 4,369 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, including 386 imported cases.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, in coordination with private clinic Shoebill Health Care, will start giving free flu vaccinations to people aged 50 and above this coming Sunday, Oct. 9, and all Sundays thereafter, until Nov 27.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
There will also be vaccination sessions on Tuesdays starting on Oct 11, and all the way to Nov. 29.
Booking is required. For additional information, check out the poster above or call POLO at 5529 1880.
Dr Thomas Tsang, honorary consultant at the Department of Health, said the time might be ripe for a flu outbreak this winter, as the Covid vaccinations and the mask-wearing in the past two years have kept the seasonal ailment at bay.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
“We want to get as many people as possible to have SIV (seasonal influenza vaccine). The reason is we have an outbreak it will be serious as we were not exposed to it in the past two years,” Tsang said.
He also said the vaccination figure for flu for the same period had been low, adding to the worry.
"We have never been hit by surges of both flu and Covid-19 at the same time, but it may happen this year. You can imagine it will bring significant pressure to our hospitals," he said.
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A serious flu outbreak in the past could cause between 300 and 400 deaths, he said, so one could only imagine how bad it could get if patients get infected with Covid-19 at the same time.
The same call was made by Chief Executive John Lee yesterday, as he and several of his top officials had SIV to emphasize its importance.
A government program to provide free flu shots to people aged 50 and above, children between six months and 12 years, pregnant women as well as the disabled, was launched at the same time.
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| Press for details |
Tsang said people should not be wary about getting the flu vaccine as it has been proven safe for most people, including the elderly and children as young as six months.
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| Tsang says the flu jab is safe for most people |
Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection backed Tsang’s warning of a more serious flu season this year.
"There's scientific evidence showing that if a person is co-infected with both Covid and influenza, there will be increased risk in death and hospitalization requiring ventilation support," he said.
At the same time, Au noted that the number of local infections and hospitalizations had reached a plateau in recent days, with no significant further drop in cases.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
He said this indicates that the immunity that most people received from vaccinations or previous infection is beginning to wane, which should put them on guard for a possible rebound in cases in the coming months.
Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority said the drop in the caseload has allowed hospitals to resume 80% of their outpatient services, and more beds are now being allocated for non-Covid patients.
However, he said the hospitals are not relaxing their guard.
“Even if we get hit by both Covid-19 and seasonal flu we should be able to cope,” he said.
The doctors showed through graphs how Covid cases are on the
upswing again in some places, particularly the
The CHP said it is closely monitoring the situation, but believes the current measures are enough to prevent the new variants from entering the community.
However, Au admitted that the number of imported cases has risen in the past month. From around 1.5 percent of the total infections in September, the imported cases now make up around 3 percent of the total.
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