Hospital Beds Are Filling Up Due To Influenza. Here’s How Getting Vaccinated Can Help You

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According to the Malaysian Association of Private Hospitals, many hospitals in the country have been reaching their capacity, leading to admission delays.

IMAGE: New Straits Times

The association’s president, Dr Kuljit Singh, said that in July, private hospitals saw a rise in bed occupancy due to many factors, most notably, influenza.

This corroborates with recent reports on social media, whereby users have been struggling to get treatment at hospitals.

One user claimed that she called all of her insurance’s panel hospitals, but most of them were full, as reported by Sinar Daily. Another parent said that he had to wait for hours to get a room for his son, who was infected with Influenza A.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recorded a rising trend of influenza cases in Malaysia, which is a cause for concern, especially among certain groups like older persons aged 60 and above.

IMAGE: World Health Organization

The Ministry of Health reported there were 93 influenza clusters reported nationwide as of the 23rd Epidemiological Week (June 4 to 10), which marked a 210-percent increase compared to 2022.

Former Deputy Director General of Health (Research & Technical Support), Datuk Dr Christopher Lee, said that vulnerable groups like the elderly may suffer more severely if they contract influenza. This is due to their waning immune system, which makes it harder to fight infections, as well as existing health problems.

So far, only 2 percent to 3 percent of Malaysians are vaccinated against influenza.

Dr Christoper said it could be due to low awareness, misconceptions, lack of urgency, as well as the cost of vaccines.

IMAGE: New Straits Times

“Many Malaysians are not protected against this virus that circulates year-round. Sadly, many people still think vaccines are only for babies and young children. However, adults can benefit from vaccinations too, especially older persons who may be exposed to the virus through interactions with their adult children and grandchildren, especially when they are living in the same household,” he said.

Dr Christopher also said that influenza vaccinations have the potential to prevent serious complications and death – studies show that they help to reduce incidences of cardiovascular events, the need for hospital admission, and mortality among older persons.

To combat this, there has been a petition calling for free influenza vaccinations for older persons, organized in collaboration by the Malaysian Alliance for the Prevention of Influenza (MyAPI), the Malaysian Influenza Working Group (under the Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases & Chemotherapy), and the Malaysian Society of Geriatric Medicine.

IMAGE: Vecteezy

Besides annual influenza vaccinations, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa advises those with symptoms to avoid close contact with others and practice proper hygiene to curb the spread of influenza.

IMAGE: Vecteezy

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa also emphasized that providing free annual influenza vaccination is necessary to ensure the wellbeing of the people, especially the elderly.

Currently, countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Korea provide free influenza vaccines to at-risk groups such as older persons aged 60 and above.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also noted that the influenza vaccine has been available for more than 70 years, and extensive research has been done to prove its safety record to the public.

As for Dr Kuljit, he said that Malaysians are already familiar with how to curb the spread of upper respiratory infections, thanks to COVID-19. Similarly, principles like masking up, social distancing, and isolation can also be applied to influenza infections.

Want to protect yourself from the flu? Talk to your doctor to find out more about annual influenza vaccinations.