Get-the-flu-while-it's-still-weak parties have been panned by doctors
Get-the-flu-while-it's-still-weak parties have been panned by doctors
Swine Flu Soiree
My house
8 pm, Saturday, July 18
In a bizarre subtext to the epidemic, a 24-year-old financial consultant from Mumbai received an e-mail invite to a swine flu party in London. The gilt-edged invitation said the "H1N1 strain of the swine flu virus is expected to get more virulent in the fall. So, while it's still in a fairly mild form, you can immunise yourself by getting exposed to people who have been infected by the virus. That way, your body will be better equipped to deal with its more powerful cousin expected to emerge after winter. So let's party with flu-infected patients!"
Though the man gave the party a miss, he admitted his interest had been piqued and that he would have attended the party had it not been a health hazard. Apparently the idea has been doing the rounds for a while.
Said marketing executive Jovias Braganza, "People would put their own health and that of others at risk. I know it's still not a virulent strain, but there have been deaths. The vaccine for swine flu is due in some time, so I don't think people should risk their lives hoping to be immune before winter."
Attendance to the parties, popular in Europe and the US, is by invitation only, so that there is no intervention by authorities.
No play
The medical fraternity has panned the parties and doctors in India are no different. Said Dr Suresh Rang, chest physician at Jaslok Hospital, "We have heard of the parties here too, especially since they were extremely popular in the US. But they are not recommended. The virus may be mild in the initial period, but one may pick up a resistant strain that could result in severe complications and even death." Doctors also insist that the assertion that one will not fall ill again is baseless.
"If the virus mutates, and such viruses do, it's not certain that the antibodies that the body produces to fight the condition will be effective the second time around. Simply put, these parties would be a very bad and harmful idea," said respiratory physician Ashok Mahashur, consultant with Hinduja Hospital.
Added Dr Suresh Jadhav, Executive Director of the Serum Institute of Indiau00a0 Ltd (SIIL), "Organising swine flu parties is completely unscientific and fraught with danger. The disease will spiral out of control if people party with swine flu victims. There used to be measles parties to remove the scare of the disease and to boost the immune system. Instead of doing this, it resulted in many deaths. My sincere advice to people is not to play with their lives with this unscientific method."
Dr Avinash Bhondve, former president of the IMA says organising swine flu parties is extremely dangerous because it will only spread infection. He added that even the WHOu00a0 has warned people against organising such parties saying that it will in no way help in boosting immunity.
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With inputs by Vivek Sabnis
Immunity rise? bah!
There are only two ways of boosting immunity one is by active immunisation wherein the attenuated virus, whose efficiency is drastically curtailed, is introduced in small quantities into the body, thereby helping the body develop antibodies. The other is passive immunisation like rabies wherein the rabies vaccine is introduced in horses and the antibodies that are produced are taken out and introduced in human beings. At a time when doctors are advising people to avoid crowds, a swine flu party is nothing but a way of inviting trouble.
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