By ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PAUL MIDDLETON
Taking yourself to the doctor when sick is always stressful, but this is much worse when it is a sick child you are worried about. When you hear “it’s just a virus”, most of us would breathe a sigh of relief. No need for antibiotics, just bed rest, fluids and you can expect to be back to normal in five days.
You might be surprised to learn that some viruses are becoming more deadly. We’re seeing the rise of new or mutated super viruses causing diseases such as SARS, Bird Flu, and Swine Flu, and the return of serious viruses, like measles, that had previously been practically wiped out by childhood vaccinations. We’ve become too relaxed about viruses, and although many viruses still only need rest and fluids, it’s time that we took some of the others more seriously.
In Australia, the major enemy this flu season is a new strain of H3N2, a virus which has mutated through close contact with animals. H3N2 was the virus behind the Swine Flu pandemic in 2009, which killed 187 Australians, and 14,378 people worldwide. We’re also seeing worrying reports coming out of China about the new H7N9 virus, which has allegedly already killed 16 people. It’s very possible that cases of H7N9 have been underreported, and that the death toll is even higher.
Our best defence against viruses is vaccination. Vaccination is still a lifesaver.
Vaccination took a beating in 1990s, with the anti-MMR vaccine hysteria leading many misguided parents to decide not to vaccinate their children. Despite the fact that the “study” that sparked the hysteria was shown to be seriously misleading, and its author discredited and struck off the UK medical register, we continue to see a vocal minority of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children.