The Ministry of Health recommends that the flu vaccine be given between September and December. The most effective way to protect yourself from the flu is the vaccine. Hence, it is especially important for people who are in the risk group to have it done. So, who is in danger?

In such cases, consult a doctor without delay!

• In every fever seen in the first 3 months of life, a doctor should be consulted.
• In babies older than 3 months; if there are conditions such as high fever, rapid breathing, wheezing, inability to sleep due to cough, weakness, inadequate nutrition, and inability to take fluids from the mouth, they should be taken to the doctor without delay.
• Children with respiratory distress and feeding difficulties should be hospitalized regardless of their age.

Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Meral Sönmezoğlu said, there is a group that creates danger. They are people over 65 years of age whose immunity does not work well, people with lung diseases such as COPD, patients with respiratory failure, people receiving cancer treatment, and pregnant women. Since the immune system does not work well, there is a higher risk of life-threatening disease in this group. In healthy people, there is not much danger anymore.”

Pregnant Women Need to be Especially Careful

Stating that people in the risk group should be vaccinated, Sönmezoğlu continued: "The ideal is getting vaccinated in September and October before the outbreak starts. However, it should not be forgotten that it is not too late for vaccination. Because the epidemic continues to decrease until the end of March. The current vaccine may protect people who have not yet contracted the disease. It is necessary to emphasize pregnant women in particular. Because they are at risk of miscarriage and premature birth. The flu can cause this. The disease can also threaten the life of pregnant women. It is useful to vaccinate people who will spend their pregnancy in the winter months. We are vaccinating pregnant women and those who have just given birth."

Keep Your Kids Away from Smoke

Smoking and air pollution increase the risk of disease in children by breaking the resistance of the respiratory tract to microbes. For this reason, it is necessary to keep children away from cigarette smoke and air pollution. Since closed and crowded places cause diseases to spread very quickly, children should not be brought into these environments where they are not obliged to.