BEAT THE BUGS
KEEP YOUR FAMILY HEALTHY THIS WINTER
Winter: ‘tis the season to be snotty. Colds and flu hit those of us who live in warm climates hardest during the winter months, and/or in the wet seasons – and while we don’t know exactly why this is so, it’s certainly not because viruses and germs become infused with special superpowers when it’s cold. Studies have suggested that the bugs can live longer in wetter conditions or at certain temperatures, or that the closed doors and indoor lifestyle of winter means that the germs and critters are more concentrated and better able to target their victims. No matter the reason, it’s best to avoid the real schoolyard bully by staying out of his way in the first place.
HOW DO YOU GET A COLD?
Merely being cold or wet will not make your child sick – that’s another old wives’ tale (although it is possible that viruses and bacteria could live longer in certain conditions, such as high humidity or at certain temperatures). A person actually needs to inhale or ingest the bacteria or virus to get sick – and these could be airborne, or transmitted via bodily fluids such as saliva and faeces, or transferred by touching infected surfaces.
THE FLU VACCINE
A flu vaccine is a great way to start your family’s counterattack. A vaccine works by injecting a small or modified amount of the virus into your children’s bodies. It sounds crazy, but doing so allows their bodies to mount an immune response by making antibodies that recognise that particular virus. When the “real” virus then attacks
their body, they are armed against it and their body has a better – though not 100 percent – chance of fighting it off.
But there’s no such thing as just one cold or flu virus. Every year, the dastardly opponent tries to outwit his victims (that’s us) by mutating. Put very simply, a mutated virus will attack the body in a slightly different way, or place, than before, and it will mean that the previous season’s flu vaccine may not work to protect you anymore. This is why scientists at labs worldwide develop annual flu vaccines to try to target the particular strain currently rampaging through the world. If Swedes contract a particular strain of flu, it’s then possible that South Africans can be protected from that strain via the vaccine by the time our winter comes around a few months later. “If you happen to contract a different strain of cold or flu, you’ll still get sick, though,” says Dr Delecia Wood-Thompson, an emergency medicine registrar at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. “It’s not that the vaccine ‘didn’t work’.”
WHO SHOULD BE VACCINATED?
Dr Mariana Lucic, a paediatrician at the Netcare Park Lane Hospital in Johannesburg, says she highly recommends all healthy children should receive the flu vaccine every year from the time they are six months old. “Pregnancy lowers your immunity so pregnant women should definitely also be vaccinated. Acutely very ill children should not be vaccinated, neither should those people with previously demonstrated severe allergic reactions to vaccines,” she says.
HOW DOES IMMUNITY DEVELOP?
“You start developing immunity from when you are born,” says Dr Wood-Thompson. “But up to the age of six months you don’t yet have all the antibodies you need to fight disease, so you are more prone to getting sick.” A person needs to be exposed to (small amounts of) viruses and bacteria in order to build up their immunity. This is bound to happen naturally, simply by babies living in the world and touching the same surfaces and breathing the same air as other people, and yes, it does mean they can occasionally become ill.
“A good way to limit the risk is to vaccinate a very young baby’s parents, caregivers and older siblings against influenza,” says Dr Lucic. “Also try to avoid crowded, closed places.” Breastfeeding mothers do have a card up their sleeves: “Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do to protect your young baby from disease,” says Dr Wood-thompson. “Breastmilk contains antibodies from the mother which the baby can use to fight disease and build up immunity. Breastfed babies get sick less.” Lastly, practise good hygiene. Wash your and your children’s hands regularly – certainly after every nappy change and before meals – and clean your household surfaces with an antibacterial cleaner.
HOW TO TREAT COLDS AND FLU
VIRUSES ARE SELFLIMITING – MEANING THEY WILL GO AWAY WHEN THEY GO AWAY
“Colds and flu can be viral or bacterial,” says Dr Wood-thompson, “but most commonly a person will get a cold or flu virus first. And viruses are self-limiting – meaning they will go away when they go away, and there is not much you can do to hasten the departure.” Your child’s body will fight the virus on its own, and you can help by making the conditions favourable for this. Let them rest, give them plenty of fluids, and treat their aches and pains symptomatically, such as with painkillers and vitamin supplements.