Autumn brings pleasant weather, weddings and a slew of festivals—reasons enough to meet and greet friends and family. It is also the time for the seasonal flu to do the rounds. You could suffer the sniffles and visit doctors, or starting this year, work on building your immunity.
Starting health
“It is the strength of our immune system which decides who gets sick and who doesn’t,” says Nalin Nag, consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, New Delhi.
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However, many factors challenge immunity. “We are living longer than ever before, and with age, the defence mechanism of the body becomes less effective,” says Randeep Guleria, professor, department of medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. “Overcrowding in urban areas, low hygiene and faster intercontinental travel all lead to the incidence and rapid spread of pandemic flus.” Some drugs, such as steroids, also suppress immunity.
Stress plays a key role in underminning immunity too. “Even routine daily stresses—deadlines and traffic jams—can downplay immunity,” says Ashima Puri, consultant psychologist, Aashlok Hospital, New Delhi. Other factors include lack of exercise, improper food and working in closed environments, according to S. Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.
Should you get a shot?
Getting vaccinated to prevent the flu seems like a good short cut since vaccines add acquired immunity to your natural shield. However, many doctors remain concerned about a swine flu vaccine developed on the fast track. S.P. Byotra, senior consultant and co-chairman, department of medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, is one of the sceptics, and finds it “unbelievable” that companies are claiming a safe vaccine for a disease that is just a few months old. Should this concern extend to regular flu shots?
Doctors point out that the country’s immunization schedule contains only shots deemed both safe and essential by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Though recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), flu shots are not on that list. Whether you or your child should take a flu shot at the onset of the flu season is something Indian doctors are still debating.
Nitin Verma, senior consultant, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, says, “Every year, end of August or beginning of September, a new vaccine—depending on WHO recommendations about the flus to be covered—is released.” He recommends that all children aged 6 months or above get the shot at the beginning of the flu season, only around September.
Dr Byotra, however, feels that adults should take only very essential vaccines. “For example, if you are travelling to a particular country that has an endemic disease pocket”. For children, he believes the childhood immunization schedule should suffice.
How to stay healthy