As soon as the vaccines were received from the Ministry of Health, the entire staff of the hospital came to hear the lecture given by Dr. Michal Shtein, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit, about influenza and flu vaccines. The medical and nursing staff were vaccinated immediately after her talk, and all employees are expected to get their shots over the course of the week.
The first to be vaccinated was Director General of the medical center, Dr. Mickey Dudkiewicz, who was a role model for all employees. "It is important to get vaccinated every year to avoid getting sick and infecting my family, patients and colleagues at work," said Dudkiewicz.
"The flu is caused by the influenza virus, which is transmitted from person to person through tiny droplets sprayed from the respiratory track when we speak, cough or sneeze," explained Dr. Shtein. She mentioned that while the flu is unpleasant and passes in several days, it may also lead to complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infections and even complications in the nervous system. Therefore, it is very important to be vaccinated, and the optimal time to do so is from the beginning of October through the end of November. You can be vaccinated even later, as outbreaks sometimes peak in February and March.
Dr. Shtein recommends that everybody gets vaccinated, as especially people who belong to risk groups such as pregnant women, children, the elderly and babies. People sometimes tend to think that if you were previously vaccinated you don't need get the shot the following year. However, annual vaccinations are very important as the level of antibodies tends to decline and the composition of the vaccination generally changes from year to year.
Director General of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Dr. Mickey Dudkiewicz, getting his flu shot.
Photo: Alex Greenman
.jpg?BannerID=39 "youtube channel")
