The health ministry introduced administering influenza vaccination for five identified high-risk groups yesterday. Influenza vaccines, also known as flu shots are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses.
Influenza vaccine is one of the three vaccines launched by health ministry last year on June 4, coinciding with Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen’s birthday.
The vaccine will be provided to pregnant women, children less than 24 months, elderly above 65 years, people with chronic medical conditions and healthcare workers.
“With this introduction of the vaccine, influenza-associated hospitalisation and death especially due to pneumonia in children below 24 months are expected to reduce in the country. This institutionalisation of the vaccination program into the routine immunization will also provide a platform to deploy influenza vaccine for the general population during a pandemic,” said Rinxin Jamtsho, the Officiating Director of DoPH.
The world will experience the influenza virus outbreaks periodically but it is very difficult to predict timing as the influenza virus evolves constantly every season. According to the influenza surveillance conducted by the Royal Centre for Disease Control, Bhutan has two flu seasons. The first season is in winter, which is from December to March and the second season coincides with the monsoon season which is from July to September. And the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group has recommended influenza vaccination for the winter season in November and December every year.
As per the recommendation, the influenza vaccination will now be made available in every health centre across the country in November and December every year.
Globally, WHO estimates about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and about 3 to 7 hundred thousand respiratory deaths resulting due to the Influenza outbreak annually. In Bhutan, respiratory illness is one of the top ten diseases affecting all age groups and is mainly caused due to influenza virus illness.
Passang Dorji
