Serum and Vaccine: This Year's Influenza is More Powerful and Aggressive.. and the Vaccine is Extremely Necessary

Dr. Amjad Al-Haddad, head of the Allergy and Immunology Department at the Serum and Vaccine Authority, stated that the current wave of respiratory illnesses is not caused by a new or mutated coronavirus, noting that it is the "normal and usual situation" for this time of year, which witnesses the activity of a "cocktail" of four known viruses.

He explained during television statements on the "Shams" channel that what society is witnessing today is a simultaneous spread of influenza viruses, which are "the most common and aggressive," in addition to the previous variants of coronavirus, along with the adenovirus "cold," and respiratory syncytial virus, emphasizing: "We do not have new viruses, and the current increase is normal."

He added that the panic among some people stems from the "cough" that follows all these illnesses, noting that a child may recover and then start a new illness after two days.

He pointed out that "the new infections differ from the previous ones"; one may catch a cold followed by influenza, or a syncytial virus, or coronavirus; however, some mistakenly believe that the successive symptoms are an extension of one illness, while in reality, they are different viruses, or they may simply be complications like a persistent cough from an illness such as a cold or influenza.

He noted the spread of respiratory viruses among all age groups, highlighting their greater appearance among children due to gatherings in schools and nurseries that facilitate the transmission of infection.

He explained that the focus on the coronavirus over the past years has led to a decline in the uptake of the influenza vaccine, indicating that the reluctance to vaccinate for years has weakened community immunity against the virus; and "our bodies have become deficient in the necessary antibodies to combat influenza, which has facilitated the mutation of the virus and made it more powerful and aggressive this year, in light of the absence of immunity against it."

He urged citizens to receive the influenza vaccine, which is "very important and extremely necessary," warning that influenza is a "very serious" disease that causes complications, especially for high-risk groups such as infants, the elderly, and allergy sufferers, stressing the need to protect against "one of the most aggressive respiratory viruses circulating."