Double Trouble: M’sia Expected To Experience Both Covid-19 & Influenza In Year End ‘Twindemic’

We’re barely coping with the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with fluctuating cases and new clusters emerging daily but looks like the storm is far from over. Malaysia is expected to be hit by a “twindemic” or the clashing of two outbreaks of Covid-19 and influenza by end of the year.

Chairman of Malaysia Influenza Group, Prof Dr Zamberi Sekawi told Astro Awani that the situation will certainly cause concern because it may see a sharp increase in Influenza infection along with COVID-19, dramatically.

“If we look at western countries, this twindemic occurs during the winter. So in the Malaysian context, it is closely related to the rainy season.”

Due to this Zamberi advised the public, especially those in the high-risk categories such as the elderly, children, patients with chronic diseases and pregnant mothers to get vaccinated as the Influenza can be prevented through vaccination.

That’s the main difference between Covid-19 and Influenza where while Influenza and Zamberi added that awareness on the use of vaccines to prevent Influenza infection is seen to be increasing among Malaysians.

I’m 23-years-old, can I still get vaccinated?

Yes, all persons aged 6 months of age and older are recommended for annual vaccination, with rare exceptions. According to the CDC, some vaccines are only approved for adults, for example, the recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) is approved for people aged 18 years and older.

However, you should check with your health expert before you get vaccinated to make sure you don’t suffer from any life-threatening allergies. Just visit your nearest health clinic and collect as information as you can!

Also read: MOH: Malaysia Expects to Get Covid-19 Vaccine In The First Quarter of 2021