GP believes flu vaccination is the best bet for beating the bug

Flu virus posters promoting flu vaccinations at Hawke's Bay Hospital. Photo/File.

It has long been recognised that children and those over 65 are typically more susceptible to getting the flu. But why?

The Doctors Hastings GP Dr Kevin Choy said they generally saw more of these two demographics as they have "more serious conditions which predispose them to come to see us more often".

"School aged children are more susceptible obviously in classrooms and when one child gets the flu, it spreads really quickly through the droplets in the air."

He said the older population were already more prone to sickness, hence why the flu combined with their underlying health conditions including heart disease and respiratory illnesses made them sicker faster.

"Whereas the healthy group between 18 years to the late 50s tend to know that while they are unwell, they are not bad enough to really need to go and see their GP, so they stay at home drink lots of water, and tend to get better.

"That's why these two groups stand out the most to us as clinicians and it's also why we do the prevention."

Choy said the best way to prevent people from getting the flu was to get the flu jab.

"Without any doubt, the flu jab is the best prevention we have got and that's why we try and make it accessible to as many people as we can; over 65s are free, less than 65s with a chronic condition are free and less than 5 year olds with respiratory illness are free, as well as woman who are pregnant."

Age Concern Hawke's Bay manager Deborah Biggs echoed this approach.

"We encourage people to take advantage of advice offered by doctors and other health professionals, for instance flu vaccinations."

Choy said that in terms of care, the easiest way to think about it is that if you are not well, the best thing to do it to stay at home.

"The public do need to understand that the flu is different from a cold and they can get a lot sicker from the flu."

However, no antibiotics are needed, often rest and water is the best form of medicine.

"If you have fevers and stay at home until the fever is gone for at least 24 hours before you are in contact with other people."

"If you're not sure always ask your GP. We try and encourage them if they are sick to stay at home, don't go out and keep working, because they will spread it and it will be like wildfire."