With 5 cases of Influenza A, Campos asks if immunize pregnant women and the elderly

The superintendent of public health of the City of Goytacazes, Charbel Kury, asked today (31) to pregnant women, the elderly and women who have had children recently do not forget to take the vaccine against swine flu, a disease that had five cases in the city since March . The superintendent said that the last vaccination campaign, which ended on May 17, 80% and 90% of pregnant women were vaccinated elderly, but the remnants are the most at risk of contamination and disease worsening.

"We left the vaccine available at all stations even after the campaign, who is the group's risk and who is not. What we want is not death," said the superintendent, who reported that children and health professionals, who also are in the risk group, reached 100% vaccination.

Charbel said that care with the disease have to be constant, because it has already become a seasonal influenza - frequent in certain time - about five to ten cases reported annually. In 2009, the year of the pandemic, the city had 20 deaths, almost half pregnant. Altogether, there were 250 confirmed cases.

Of the five cases this year, two were in pregnant women, one in a 2 year old and a baby on the other. One of the pregnant women came to be hospitalized for three days, but reacted well after using the antiviral Tamiflu and discharged. According to the superintendent, all are doing well. Three of them laboratory-confirmed influenza A and the other two, there was medical diagnosis and treatment as such. Nevertheless, it was proved that the cause was the H1N1 virus, which Charbel sees as a possibility: "It is a virus that is circulating and will continue for another ten or 15 years, but is no longer pandemic. Became seasonal, either which was included in the vaccination campaign. "

The superintendent also emphasized that we must be alert to the symptoms: high fever, fatigue and cough. Who is part of the risk should seek medical advice even if the high temperature is not accompanied fatigue. The swine flu is more dangerous than the average to have higher penetration capacity in respiratory tissue, evolving easier for pneumonia.

Besides the vaccine, hygiene can prevent contamination, such as the use of towels and cups in public places, protect the face when coughing or breathing and wash your hands whenever you do this. "Everyone strengthened hygiene in 2009, but already forgotten. St. basic situations where the flu virus is alive."

Until May 11, the Ministry of Health reported 388 cases of swine flu and 61 deaths in the country. Most of them, 328 were observed in São Paulo, where there were 55 deaths. In Rio, there were three cases that date and no deaths.

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