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The Independent General Practice - Flu Vaccines
The IGP was the first Private GP Practice in Wales to be Registered with the HIW (Health Inspectorate Wales).
What is Flu?
Flu is a serious disease, which causes widespread illness each winter throughout the UK. It is a viral infection that is seen in the winter months. A flu outbreak usually lasts for 3-6 weeks throughout the country. Complications include bronchitis and pneumonia.
The typical symptoms and signs of flu are a rapid onset illness with high fever (over 38° C) a feature which may last for days. A painful and debilitating headache is usually present together with severe body aches and pains. Those affected are usually bedridden for days due to fatigue and weakness. Further symptoms can be sneezing, severe cough, sore throat and nausea. These symptoms can last for up to to 10 days. For several weeks after, a feeling of exhaustion and lack of energy will predominate.
Who is at Risk of Contracting Flu?
Everyone is at risk, especially if you are tired or stressed, come into daily contact with a lot of people, have children who always seem to have a cold, or are generally less healthy than you could be.
How is Flu Spread?
Flu spreads by droplets in the air (by coughing or sneezing for example). The virus gains entry into your body through your nose, mouth and eyes. It is also spread by touch but to a lesser extent. Once inside the body, the virus multiplies rapidly to produce millions of virus particles.
Can the Vaccine Cause Flu?
No. the Vaccine does not contain any live virus. It is a medical impossibility to catch flu from the vaccine.
How Important is Flu?
Flu is a serious illness and it can even be fatal. It has also been identified as a trigger for depression, ME and other serious illnesses.
The CDC (United States Department of Health Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) have revised their estimate of deaths directly attributable to flu and its complications in the USA alone up from 20,000 to 36,000 per annum. More than 100,000 people are hospitalised per annum.
The CDC also recommended in January 2003 that, in addition to those over 50, "All who wish to decrease their risk of getting flu should begin receiving vaccinations in November". In the UK, we begin vaccinating in October because of the different seasons. Apart from costing your company sick-leave, flu could actually paralyse your company in the event of an epidemic, let alone a pandemic. This is a significant risk to your company, but is unlikely to be one that iscovered by your insurance policies.
Will Flu be Bad This Year?
Flu has cycles. Every 4 - 5 years there tends to be an epidemic. A few times a century there is a pandemic.
In a normal year, 1 - 5% of the population get flu, and about 15 per 100,000 of the population die of it. (World Health Organisation)
In an epidemic year, the epidemic will last 3 - 6 weeks and the mortality figures will be approximately double those in a normal year.
Pandemics occur occasionally. The Spanish Flu pandemic in the First World War killed more people than the war itself. There have been smaller pandemics since, but scientists are on the lookout for evidence of a new one.
In the event of a pandemic it will be advisable for as many people as possible to be vaccinated. However, the additional vaccine takes three months to manufacture so it will certainly not be available in time.
Protect your business from Flu
Registered With The Health Inspectorate Wales
