ILOILO City – Two hundred frontliners in Aklan availed themselves of flu vaccine from their Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The recipients were personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and emergency responders, among others.
Most of these frontliners, PHO-Aklan said, are assigned at the borders of the province. They had their vaccination last week.
The vaccine was donated by the Department of Health in Region 6, PHO-Aklan added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness and at times lead to death.
People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:
* fever or feeling feverish/chills
* cough
* sore throat
* runny or stuffy nose
* muscle or body aches
* headaches
* fatigue
CDC also pointed out that some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people who have it cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes./PN
