Felt a chill in the autumn air? It's a sign that the 2016 influenza season is approaching - and one of the two types of flu vaccine is the better choice for Australians heading overseas.
Travelvax's Dr Jennifer Sisson tells us why here:
Flu is THE most common vaccine-preventable disease for travellers. That's because, once you hit the road, the virus is very hard to avoid.
First, let me explain why there are two vaccines.
The first is the familiar three-strain 'trivalent' influenza vaccine (TIV). It's the cheaper of the two and is suitable for most healthy people. This year's TIV formula will protect against the three principal flu strains predicted for 2016.
The second option is a four-strain, or quadrivalent, influenza vaccine (QIV), which became available in Australia for the first time last year. The additional fourth strain in this year's QIV protects against the B/Phuket strain.
It's this newer quadrivalent vaccine that's the better option for travellers, according to one of Australia's leading experts on flu, Australia's Influenza Specialist Group chairman Dr Alan Hampson.
"Travellers are more likely to have greater exposure to A or B flu strains that are already circulating, as well as to new strains that could emerge outside Australia - especially in Asia," Dr Hampson said.
"Plus, the B flu viruses occasionally predominate in parts of Asia. For anyone travelling overseas, having the quadrivalent vaccine makes good sense."
Here are six reasons why you should include a flu shot in your pre-travel immunisations:
1 - Flu is a truly global disease: it occurs seasonally in developed or developing countries, but circulates year-round in tropical regions.
2 - Planes, trains, buses, cruise ships, airport terminals, hotels, crowded places, and mass gatherings (concerts, major sporting events) are all higher-risk places for flu.
3 - Aircraft present a unique risk for flu because the low humidity in the cabin is very effective in spreading flu. Virus-containing particles can remain alive for up to 24 hours on hard surfaces, especially in high-traffic areas like toilets.
4 - When you are sitting for long periods in a low humidity atmosphere the mucous membranes in our nose or mouth dry out, which also increases the likelihood of acquiring respiratory infections like flu.
5 - A fellow traveller doesn't have to have obvious signs of illness to be extremely contagious. They can pass it on for up to three days before their symptoms first appear and for a day or two after they recover, simply by talking or breathing.
6 - Someone in the early, mid or late stages of a flu infection can transfer virus particles from their hands to surfaces others will touch - anything from fold-down trays, arm rests or the fixtures in toilets. (Studies have shown people touch their face up to 23 times an hour and around half of those contacts involve touching the nose or mouth, where the virus enters the body.)
Flu has a short incubation period of one to four days. Getting infected early on in your journey could impact your holiday for at least a few days, forcing you to miss a planned activity or even preventing you from boarding a flight.
Finally, if you need treatment for severe flu overseas, seeing a doctor can be costly.
Don't believe the myth that having the vaccine can give you flu. It can't, although a small percentage of people have a mild immune response to the vaccine.
And, unfortunately, a flu shot won't prevent you getting a cold or any of the (generally milder) respiratory illnesses that circulate during winter.
But, it is effective against flu.
Think of your seasonal flu vaccination as a form of cheap annual 'insurance' that covers you at home or away.
Dr Sisson is the acting medical director of Travelvax Australia. You can call Travelvax Australia's telephone advisory service on 1300-360-164 (toll-free from landlines) for no-obligation, country-specific advice. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.
