FLU SHOTS: As UAE students gear up for the upcoming school term, healthcare experts are advising parents to ensure their children get a flu vaccine to shield them from potential illness shortly after commencing classes. Typically, doctors advise that viral infections be left for the body's natural defenses to combat. However, influenza is a seasonal infection, and the vaccine contains strains corresponding to the prevalent strains that can lead to the illness. These strains differ each season, which renders the body's defence mechanisms inadequate. Given the regular interaction of numerous children daily, germ sharing is inevitable. While the occasional cold might not be a major concern, there exist several contagious illnesses that pose substantial health risks when not prevented, warned doctors. The vaccine incorporates strains responsible for severe infections; therefore, opting for the vaccine is prudent. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)
Bloomberg