According to the hospital’s Centre for Paediatric Tropical Diseases, the centre receives around 100-130 patients diagnosed with flu per week.  

The patients mostly contract the three strains of the A (H1N1, A/H3N2) or Influenza B flu virus, including many being just some months old.

Anh Duong, four months old, from the northern province of Bac Ninh was taken to the hospital for two-day high fever and breathing difficulty. He was then tested positive to A/H1N1 influenza.

Dr. Nguyen Van Lam, head of the centre, said that seasonal influenza is characterised by a sudden onset of fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and a runny nose. The disease has a high infection risk.

Normally, patients can recover within one week, but for small children, the elderly or those who have chronic diseases, the flu can worsen, causing complications which can even lead to death.

Parents are advised to give seasonal influenza vaccination to their children. In case, children battle with the disease, they are needed to be separated to avoid the possible infection. They should also be hospitalised early for treatment.

Vietnam has seen around 1-1.8 million people contracting seasonal influenza viruses annually over the past decade. Vietnamnet/Dtinews