HYDERABAD: In the wake of a spike in H1N1 swine flu cases in the last few days, medical experts are advising people to take a dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine. Referring to recent instances of patients getting Covid-19 or dengue along with swine flu, doctors are stressing the need to get “flu shots”.
Speaking to Express, Dr VV Ramanaprasad, a consultant pulmonologist at KIMS Hospital, said: "Some patients are developing high fever and not responding to the general medicines. If tested, their X-ray or CT scan shows a typical viral shadow in their lungs."
The H1N1 swab tests of approximately 30 per cent of such patients are returning positive. As the patients are reporting two or more diseases together, the doctors have become more careful about diagnosis, not labelling any infection as Covid-19.
An endemic swine flu disease is observed every year during monsoon season. However, there was a drop in cases in the last two to three years. “We have been asking patients to take seasonal influenza vaccine each year to avoid swine flu infection. We are recommending the same this year too,” said Dr Surender Reddy, a pulmonologist at ESIC hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Ramanaprasad suggested people over 50 years of age with comorbidities or chronic lung infections to take adult vaccination. These vaccines are available free of cost at almost all government hospitals.