TAIF: The Ministry of Health has urged people with a high risk of contracting seasonal flu – pregnant women and patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiac disease – to get flu shots. Dr. Khaled Marghalani, the ministry's spokesman, stressed that all clinical research has proven the safety of the seasonal flu vaccines and their effectiveness in protecting against the spread of flu. Dr. Marghalani also urged everyone to strictly follow preventive measures to protect themselves from flu, especially the hygiene principles of washing their hands thoroughly with disinfectants and the use tissue papers when they sneeze. He said the swine flu is no longer a pandemic and that the world is not at the highest flu-alert level, but seasonal flu remains a threat, especially for those in the high-risk group, who have weak immune systems. The current flu is seasonal because the virus is most active in the winter, Dr. Marghalani said. He said the viruses' strains and structures change yearly, which necessitates the introduction of new vaccines. The seasonal vaccine is the most effective for this year's viruses because its components cover the H1N1 and other strains. Last year's vaccine included only the H1N1 vaccine, he added.
