In the week ending 22 January 2018 consultation rates for influenza like illness was 74.7 per 100,000 population, indicating high levels. This is an increase of 15% from 65 per 100,000 the previous week, and 36 per 100,000 the week before.
There have been 37 outbreaks of flu and respiratory illnesses reported in care homes and hospitals in Wales so far this winter, this includes 12 outbreaks provisionally reported in the last week. Flu can spread easily, especially in places like care homes and hospitals, where individuals are often very vulnerable to flu and its complications.
Limited stocks of vaccine remain available currently. Those in at risk groups not yet vaccinated are advised to speak to their GP surgery or community pharmacy as soon as possible.
Dr Frank Atherton, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said:
“Flu can be a serious condition, especially for those in risk groups such as pregnant women, those aged 65 or over or with a long term health condition.
“If you catch flu please help to stop the virus spreading by staying away from other people if possible while you are ill, especially if they are very old, very young, pregnant or have a long term health condition. Follow the Catch it, Bin it, Kill it advice.”
· Catch it: always use a tissue to cough or sneeze into
· Bin it: dispose of the tissue after use
· Kill it: then wash your hands or use hand sanitizer to kill any flu viruses
If you think you might have flu, you can reduce the risk of spreading it to others. Most healthy people with flu can care for themselves at home. They should drink plenty of fluids, take paracetamol or ibuprofen, keep warm and rest. Symptoms usually resolve in about a week.
Stay away from others as much as possible - especially people who are at increased risk of complications. While you are unwell avoid visiting hospitals or care homes to help reduce the chances of spreading flu in these settings.
Advice on self-care is available on www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk or from community pharmacists or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 (or 111 in areas where the 111 Wales service is available).
Most people do not need to contact their GP surgery if they think they might have flu, but people who are more vulnerable to complications should get early advice. Those who are aged 65 or over, have a long-term health condition, are pregnant or are worried about a young child should seek advice from their GP surgery, as should those whose symptoms are deteriorating or are not improving after a week.
People should only attend A&E or call an ambulance if they need urgent care, for example feeling short of breath, chest pain or coughing up blood, or have other serious symptoms, or deteriorate quickly.
Dr Richard Roberts, Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at Public Health Wales, added:
“Vaccination is the single best way to protect against catching flu or spreading it. With flu vaccine still available in Wales I encourage all those eligible for the free NHS vaccine to get it as soon as possible.”
Vaccination against flu is offered free of charge by the NHS to people who are aged 65 or over, are pregnant, have certain long-term health conditions, or are unpaid carers. Nasal spray flu vaccine is also still available for children who were age 2 or 3 years on 31st August 2017. In the last two weeks one in 50 additional 2 and 3 years old children in Wales has received the nasal spray flu vaccine, bringing the total immunised to 48%.
Flu vaccine is also recommended for frontline health and social care workers to protect them and those in their care.
Find out more about flu by visiting www.beatflu.org or www.curwchffliw.org or finding Beat Flu or Curwch Ffliw on Twitter and Facebook.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Amelia Taylor | 01970 636407 | amelia.taylor@four.cymru
Deian Creunant | 01970 636419 | deian.creunant@four.cymru
Editor’s notes
There are a number of different strains of flu currently circulating in Wales. The dominant types are influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B. The A(H3N2) strain and a B strain circulated in Australia last year. This year’s flu vaccine contains protection against A(H3N2) and also one or two B strains of the virus, depending on which vaccine has been given (some flu vaccines contain three strains and some contain four strains).
A flu vaccine is free for everyone from six months of age who has: diabetes, a long term chest condition such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), moderate or severe asthma, a chronic heart condition, chronic liver disease, kidney disease (from stage 3), a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (adults only), had a stroke or a mini stroke, or have another neurological disorder, an immune system that isn’t working well, and had their spleen removed or have a spleen that isn’t working very well.
This year, the children’s vaccination programme has been extended to include children in school year 4. Eligible children are those aged two or three (age on 31 August 2017) and those in reception class and school years 1 - 4 in primary school.
Last year in 2016-17 flu vaccine uptake in two and three year olds was 45.3%, and in children aged between four and seven years was 66.9%. Uptake in those aged under 65 years in clinical risk groups was 46.9%, and in those aged 65 and over was 66.7%.
In a typical winter in the UK flu will cause thousands of deaths. Public Health Wales monitors the increase in deaths during the winter months caused by flu and other winter illnesses. Up to the end of the second week of January 2018 the number of deaths recorded each week was within normal expected levels and not unusual compared to previous flu seasons.
For more information visit www.beatflu.org
Public Health Wales is an NHS organisation providing professionally independent public health advice and services to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales.
Public Health Wales has four statutory functions:
To provide and manage a range of public health, health protection, healthcare improvement, health advisory, child protection and microbiological laboratory services and services relating to the surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases;
To develop and maintain arrangements for making information about matters related to the protection and improvement of health in Wales available to the public; to undertake and commission research into such matters and to contribute to the provision and development of training in such matters;
To undertake the systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of information about the health of the people of Wales in particular including cancer incidence, mortality and survival; and prevalence of congenital anomalies; and
To provide, manage, monitor, evaluate and conduct research into screening of health conditions and screening of health related matters.
More information on Public Health Wales is available at www.publichealthwales.org
No comments:
Post a Comment