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THE global endeavour to create a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine is beginning to bear fruit.

A handful of vaccines have now been authorised for use in certain countries, while many more remain in development. We in Malaysia will be rolling out our own Covid-19 vaccination drive soon.

However, we should not allow the focus on Covid-19 to overshadow the fact that, for decades, many older Malaysians have been stricken and killed by a more common, persistent and equally deadly infectious disease, called influenza or the flu.

We need to put a stop to this preventable tragedy. The flu shares many similarities with Covid-19. Both are contagious respiratory illnesses that spread through nasal and salivary droplets, and exhibit similar symptoms.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that the flu claims 290,000 to 650,000 lives annually, with approximately 90 per cent of the deaths occurring among senior citizens. In Malaysia, a local study has indicated that those above age 65 infected with influenza-like illnesses are at 10 per cent greater risk of mortality.

People over the age of 65 tend to be more susceptible to the flu and its effects. Their immune systems become less able to activate the immune cells needed to clear the influenza virus from the lungs. Age-related changes also occur in the connective tissues of our lungs and structure of the thoracic cage.

All these factors diminish the elderly’s ability to fight off serious respiratory illnesses. They also become more prone to developing and dying from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and a myriad of flu complications, the most common being pneumonia.

Flu vaccination is a proven method of protecting our seniors from severe flu related complications. Studies have shown that it reduces the risk of having to visit the doctor for the flu by 45 per cent and reduces the risk of developing pneumonia by 49 per cent.

By the same token, it has also averted the need for hospitalisation due to the flu by 45 per cent, thereby reducing the accompanying physical suffering, emotional stress, treatment cost, and financial burden to the family.

Such clear benefits have led many countries to provide free or subsidised flu vaccination to senior citizens under their respective national immunisation programmes (NIP). These include the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and most European nations. Asian examples include Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and even Singapore.

Such population-based flu vaccination initiatives have consistently turned in promising results. For example, the US managed to reduce the flu mortality rate in seniors by 50 per cent after implementing a nationwide flu vaccination strategy.

With caring advocacy, senior citizens can be persuaded to embrace flu vaccination as an important preventive health measure. This is especially because many also have non-communicable diseases that can be exacerbated by the flu.

The government has granted tax exemption for the cost of certain vaccinations (including the flu), with effect from January 1, 2021. We hope the public will take full advantage of this welcomed relief affirming that ‘prevention is better than cure’.

All too often, society forgets the senior citizens in aged care homes. Infectious diseases are known to spread quickly and extensively in such establishments where residents live in close proximity with one another. This was tragically demonstrated by how aged care homes in the UK were decimated by Covid-19!

Flu poses a similar threat which we hope can be mitigated by the government giving those in this extremely needy and marginalised group an annual flu shot to help keep them safe.

Malaysia is moving steadily towards becoming an ageing nation. As such, it is vital that we start putting in place the measures needed to ensure the health and well-being of our senior citizens, for example, working towards achieving the WHO’s flu vaccination coverage target of 75 per cent among senior citizens.

Flu vaccination for older persons is integral to the concept of life course vaccination which, in turn, is fundamental healthy ageing as a right for all.

- MALAYSIAN INFLUENZA WORKING GROUP

- MALAYSIAN SOCIETY OF GERIATRIC MEDICINE

- ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF MALAYSIA

- ACADEMY OF MEDICINE MALAYSIA

- ASSOCIATION FOR RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE OPERATORS OF MALAYSIA (AGECOPE)

- COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS – ACADEMY OF MEDICINE MALAYSIA

- GERONTOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA

- IMMUNISE4LIFE

- LUNG FOUNDATION OF MALAYSIA

- MALAYSIA HEALTHY AGEING SOCIETY

- MALAYSIAN HEALTH COALITION

- MALAYSIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION – COMMITTEE FOR THE HEALTH OF THE OLDER PERSON

- MALAYSIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE ON AGEING (MYAGEING)

- MALAYSIAN SOCIETY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND CHEMOTHERAPY

- MALAYSIAN THORACIC SOCIETY

- NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANISATIONS MALAYSIA

- U3A BANDAR UTAMA

- U3A MALAYSIA

- U3A PETALING JAYA

- USIAMAS