Whether it’s catching up with loved ones, going on new adventures, or witnessing important milestones – don’t let the flu stop you from being present for the things that matter most. Enjoy an #Unstoppable2023 by safeguarding your health from the flu and other infectious diseases.
What is the flu? How can it stop me from life's adventures?
● Influenza can be a critical
illness that can lead to complications, hospitalizations, and even death in
high-risk people.1,2
●Seasonal influenza occurs globally
and is estimated to infect (symptomatically or asymptomatically) 1 in 5
unvaccinated children and 1 in 10 unvaccinated adults.2 In
addition, up to 5 million people fall severely ill because of the flu, and
every year, up to 650,000 people are at risk of dying globally because
of influenza-associated respiratory diseases.2
Why should I get an annual flu shot?
● A flu vaccine helps your immune
system provide optimal protection against the flu, enabling you to live
your life to the fullest. For vaccinated children as young as six months and
older adults, a flu shot can be lifesaving.3,4
● Flu vaccine protection declines
over time due to the constant changing of the flu virus strain. Due to this,
vaccines are annually reviewed and produced to ensure optimal protection
against the current flu virus.3
When is the best time to get vaccinated against the flu?
· In the Philippines, influenza viruses circulate year-round with multiple annual peaks. Increased activity is seen from June to November.7 The best time to get your flu shot is before the flu season starts.6 However, it’s better if you get vaccinated as soon as the new flu vaccines come out.
Make this your year and be #Unstoppable!
To know more about the benefits of the flu vaccine and to get your flu shot, talk to your healthcare provider today.
1. WHO Fact Sheet – influenza
(seasonal). Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(seasonal). Last accessed December 2022.
2. Vaccines against influenza –
WHO position paper-May 2022. WHO Weekly
Epidemiological Report, No 19, 2022, 97, 185-208.
Available at https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-wer9719
3. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm. Last accessed December 2022
4. Arriola, C.; Clinicial
Infectious Diseases; 2017;65; 1-26. Available at https://academic.oup.com/cid/issue/65/1
5. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. About flu. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/index.html. Last accessed December 2022.
6. World Health Organization. WHO
SAGE Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Recommendations during the COVID-19
Pandemic Interim guidance – 20 September 2020. Available at https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-sage-seasonal-influenza-vaccination-recommendations-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.
7. Lucero, M.G., Inobaya, M.T.,
Nillos, L.T. et al. National Influenza Surveillance in the Philippines from
2006 to 2012: seasonality and circulating strains. BMC Infect Dis 16, 762
(2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-2087-9
