Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 14: The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today cautioned people against possible H1N1 outbreak and urged them to go for vaccination before the flu season begins.
The president of Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said that the recent spike in H1N1 cases and deaths in States of Maharashtra and Rajasthan has sounded alarm bells in Kashmir.
“During previous flu season, health authorities in Kashmir ignored H1N1 outbreak alert which resulted in spread of disease and loss of precious lives,” he said.
The DAK president, who is also H1N1 expert, said that the unpredictability and changing behaviour of the virus makes it difficult to assess the timing, severity and length of the outbreak. “In a study published in Cell Host and Microbe 2014, Indian H1N1 virus has undergone mutation that possibly made the virus more virulent and contagious and might also allow it to elude the existing flu shots that cover 2009 pandemic strain,” he said.
He suggested people to go for vaccination to prevent them from possible disease. “Vaccination is the single best way to protect people from flu and even if the virus has changed, vaccine can still protect people because of cross protection. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 2015-2016 flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and old and people should ideally get vaccinated before flu season begins,” he said.
He said that the children younger than 6 months are at higher risk of serious flu complications but are too young to get flu vaccine. “So it is mandatory for caregivers of these infants to get vaccine,” he urged and added: “If the child has received two or more total doses of flu vaccine before July first then the child needs one dose of 2015-2016 influenza vaccine and if the child has not, the child should receive two doses.”
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