Britain
Britain
London-the
British health service has warned of a severe flu outbreak this winter, potentially
the "most severe in decades", due to the mutated H3N2 strainthe
authority called on citizens, especially the most vulnerable groups, to receive
the vaccine after recording an early and alarming rise in the numbers of
infections and hospitalizations
 |
| Britain is preparing for the most severe flu wave in decades |
Britain is preparing for the most severe flu wave in decades
This warning comes
at a time when the National Health Service (NHS) has launched a "mayday"
campaign (SOS campaign), urging people to get vaccinated. Dr. Hilary Jones
has explained that this season could be very bad, noting that Australia has
experienced the worst flu season in seven years, which is considered an
indicator of what may happen in Britain.
Mutated strain and immunological challenges
The
reason for the severity this year is due to the mutation of the influenza virus,
specifically the "H3N2" strain, which developed seven new mutations
over the summer. this mutation means that immunity acquired from last
year's vaccines or previous infections may not be effective against the new
strain. as a result, the current number of infections has reached levels
not normally recorded before December.
Flu symptoms and risks
Dr. Jonesstressed that the flu is "much worse" than a severe cold, as it
causes severe congestion in the throat, high fever, muscle aches, and forces
the sufferer to stay in bed for at least a week. influenza can be fatal, especially
when it affects vulnerable groups figures indicate that 70 thousand excess
deaths were recorded in Europe last year, of which 7,500 in Britain, and among
the victims were 53 children
Urgent calls for vaccination
To
counter this threat, the NHS has made 2.4 million new vaccine appointments
available this week.the minister of Public Health, Ashley Dalton, stressed
that "immunization is the best defense against influenza," noting
that the number of recorded flu cases is currently three times higher than at
the same time last year.