Get vaccinated before flu season

WE’VE all been told to wash our hands more often, cough and sneeze into a tissue and avoid touching our faces.

But research shows most of us touch our eyes, nose or mouth 15 times an hour. The Behavioural Insights Team, a company partowned by the Cabinet Office, has issued advice on avoiding these habits.

Touching your face can significantly increase the risk of infection with flu or cold viruses and the coronavirus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus is transmitted from person to person, like many other respiratory infections.

This includes by respiratory droplets produced when someone sneezes and is inhaled into the lungs of others, and by touching a viruscontaminated surface and using that hand to touch your eyes or your mouth.

While we can easily avoid being around someone who is obviously sick, or take precautions against airborne viruses using a mask, avoiding the virus when it is on a surface is almost impossible.

Tips include asking those around you to shout “face” every time they see you about to reach up, or folding arms to avoid hands drifting towards the face.

If you’re in a meeting or sitting in a class, lace your fingers together and place them in your lap.

Wear glasses instead of contact lenses and wear a face mask to create a barrier.

Create an “alternative behaviour” in place of unprompted face touching – for example drum your fingers on legs instead of biting your nails – could also help.

THE flu season typically occurs in South Africa between May and September each year.

Annual vaccination is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to optimise immunity against circulating influenza strains.

WHO estimates that worldwide, annual flu epidemics result in as many as five million cases of severe illness, and about 290 000 to 650 000 deaths.

Flu kills between 6 000 to 11 000 South Africans every year, about 50% of those deaths are among the elderly, and about 30% in HIVinfected people.

As concerns grow about the spread of Covid-19, medical experts are encouraging more South Africans to get the flu vaccine.

Since March, Clicks has seen an increased demand for flu vaccinations, administering over four times more vaccinations than the same period last year.

With vulnerable groups such as the elderly, immuno-compromised, pregnant women and children being prioritised, the demand has been driven as customers make every effort to boost their immune systems and protect themselves from the flu.

According to Clicks chief store operations officer Sedick Arendse, the retail pharmacy chain has increased their coverage and have been able to meet the demand by training an additional 200 pharmacists to administer vaccines and by providing dedicated nurses at hightraffic stores.

Arendse said flu vaccine stock was available at 400 stores nationwide.

For more information on the flu vaccination go to www.clicks.co.za/ fighttheflu.