H3N2 flu strain: 7 things parents must do to protect their children

According to news reports, there have been nine reported deaths due to H3N2 in India thus far. From January 2023, till date, around 451 cases have been reported across the country according to the Union Health Ministry data; states in India are put on alert.

Dr Jatinder Singh, Child Specialist & Neonatologist and a Professor at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, whose children study at Apeejay School, Model Town, said that the reason for worry related to H3N2 is the huge Indian population. “The second reason for worry is the toddlers and the elderly populations whose immunity is low. A reason for the rapid spread of H3N2 is that the present flu vaccine is not offering the layer the protection that it should. At best it offers protection against H1N1 and not H3N2. Usually, as the temperatures rise, most of the virus will die,” Dr Singh opined.

Where is the maximum spread?

In most cases, the infection is seen in school-goers and in crowded places. “I am getting a lot of children who are getting recurrent flu. These kids are coming with complaints of cough and cold. This flu strain causes low respiratory tract infection. This means that kids are vulnerable to pneumonia. The strain also causes high grade fever, body ache, nasal discharge, and shirt duration fever,” Dr Singh said.

Why is this strain doing rounds?

This is a tough question to answer, Dr Singh. “All we know is that this reason this sub-variant is spreading fast. In order to find out the reason we need research. At present, doctors are busy treating the patients who are coming to them. Patients who are coming to us at present are being treated for seasonal flu-like illness. But the good thing is that the children are recovering well. Even if the kids have had pneumonia, they recovered well,” Dr Singh said.

According to the World Health Organization humans can be infected with avian, swine and other zoonotic influenza viruses like avian influenza virus subtypes A (H5N1), A (H7N9), and A (H9N2) and swine influenza virus subtypes A (H1N1), A (H1N2) and A (H3N2).

Symptoms of the flu:

1.       Fever

2.       Cough and cold

3.       Sore throat

4.       Trouble breathing

How to protect your kids?

Dr Singh advised that it is time to bring back the protocol all of us followed during COVID-19. “Post-Covid, we have become lax. COVID-19 is still doing rounds. We should not become careless,” Dr Singh said and advised the following:

1.       Parents must send their kids to school with a mask on.

2.       Avoid crowded places.

3.       Make sure that children wash their hands regularly and not touch surfaces all the time. Give them a sanitizer to carry in their school bag.

4.      The only way to prevent this influenza virus complication is by vaccinating once a year with the quadrivalent flu vaccine; so do the needful if not done already.

5.       Ensure they change their clothes once they are back home.

6.       If your child is unwell let him/her stay at home.

7.       Do not go out unnecessarily.

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“Patients (kids) who are coming to us at present are being treated for seasonal flu-like illness. But the good thing is that the children are recovering well”

Dr Jatinder Singh, Child Specialist & Neonatologist and a Professor at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar

Meanwhile, according to news reports, Dr Krishna Ella, founder-chairman of Bharat Biotech has said that the company is at present, working on an H3N2 vaccine amid the influenza virus in the country. Ella was speaking outside of a one-day CII symposium South India at 100: Moving Beyond Boundaries.

He also said that a more effective H1N1, also known as swine flu, vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech in 2015. H1N1is a subtype of the influenza A virus that causes respiratory infections.