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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 January 2000 Issue No. 465 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 January 2000 Issue No. 465
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Much ado about the flu
By Mariz TadrosSneezing, coughing, sore eyes, stiff muscles, constant headache -- it seems the flu is everywhere this winter.
Almost everyone has it, or knows of someone who has, but what can be done?
"No kissing", Speaker Ahmed Fathi Sorour warned members of parliament. Doctors also caution against hand-shaking or exposure to sudden drops in air temperature. As for the Ministry of Health, vaccination is recommended as the magic solution. Health Minister Ismail Sallam has announced that vaccines are available in many hospitals and public clinics as well as the Egyptian Organisation for Biological Products and Vaccines. They are supposed to provide protection against three types of virus: Sydney, Beijing and Yamanashi.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Health has denied that there is a flu outbreak in this country, contending that the average winter temperature is too high to be conducive to an epidemic.
Dr Mohamed Abadi, head of the Egyptian Organisation for Biological Products and Vaccines, told Al-Ahram Weekly that more than 50,000 people have already been vaccinated against the flu. He believes that vaccination is the best protection, with effectiveness ranging between 70 and 90 per cent throughout a whole year. Vaccination, he added, is strongly recommended for babies and children, the elderly and those who suffer from heart or lung conditions.
People are flocking to the Egyptian Organisation for Biological Products and Vaccines in Agouza in search of protection. Mohamed Ahmed, an elderly trader, brought his whole family to be vaccinated. "I read in the newspapers that there are all types of viruses coming into Egypt from abroad and that we need to be vaccinated. I got very scared and brought my wife, my children and grandchildren with me so that if an outbreak occurs we have protection," he said.
Ahmed, however, complains that the price of the vaccine (LE20 per person) is too high for the poor and must be cut.
Abadi's insistence on the importance of vaccination does not carry well with other doctors, such as cardiologist Dr Charles Megalli. The latter believes that vaccination is not necessary and that average people should not really bother. The only exceptions are the elderly, those who have cardiac disease or have a weakened immunity system. For the general public Megalli recommends the avoidance of personal contact, including hand-shakes, and exposure to cold air or a sudden drop in temperatures.
"Of course, the poor and ill-nourished are more vulnerable, but the lack of hygienic conditions, and the prevalence of over-crowding doesn't make it any easier," he said.
The problem with vaccines, Megalli contends, is that it is impossible to have a vaccine for every type of virus.
"There are different viruses and different strands going to different people," he said. "The time factor also makes it difficult to synchronise the right vaccine for the right virus. By the time you isolate and identify the virus and produce a vaccine against it and put it on the market, a new wave of influenza has come through. So it is rarely the case that it has been got right, and on time."
To top it all, a common cold, or alternatively a serious bacterial infection, is often misdiagnosed as a viral infection or influenza because the symptoms are the same. So getting the vaccine in advance may not be the ideal solution.
For those who cannot get over runny noses, stuffiness and fatigue, Dr Megalli recommends rest in bed -- which means that any rigorous exercise must be avoided -- as well as intake of nutritious food and plenty of fluids.
"So what is the hysteria about?" mutters a security man at the Egyptian Organisation for Biological Products and Vaccines. "If people are sick, they should drink hot lemon and rest. It is just common sense and it has worked for years."
