Influenza Risk Groups

Who is most at risk from influenza?

Influenza, commonly referred to as flu, is an airborne virus that attacks the respiratory system. On its own, flu is generally not considered a fatal disease. It can be much more harmful and dangerous, however, if you suffer already from another disease. Those more likely to suffer fatal consequences with flu are considered to be part of the influenza risk group. People who fall into this category should be careful to lessen their chances of contracting the disease.

Flu risk groups

• If you are over 65 years of age, or under 5, you have a higher chance of suffering ill side effects of influenza. Either your body and immune system are not yet developed enough to ward off the flu virus, or that you body has become weaker through age and your immune system may not be strong enough.


• Those suffering from serious health conditions already, before contracting flu, are at higher risk of detrimental side effects. If the body is preoccupied with fighting off a disease already, flu could severely make you more vulnerable to the problem. Common conditions that make people at risk of flu are;


• Chronic lung diseases, like asthma
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Kidney, liver and blood disease
• Neurological and neuromuscular diseases


• If you are suffering from a weakened immune system, you will be at greater flu risk. People with HIV or AIDS fall into this category, as they are diseases that directly attack and destroy the immune system.


• If you are pregnant you may not have a strong enough immune system to ward of dangerous complications caused by the flu virus, both for yourself and your unborn foetus.


• People who are in chemotherapy to treat cancer will be under tremendous stress due to the harmful affects of the treatment. While it is working to cure cancer, it also weakens the body’s defence system, and thus contracting flu whilst undergoing chemotherapy can be very dangerous.

Additional flu risk groups

There are other people at higher flu risk that do not necessarily have any pre-existing medical conditions. They are people who spend a lot of time with infected patients or animals, such as health care workers or farmers. Influenza is commonly found in poultry and sometimes pigs (swine), so farmers are at great risk of contracting the virus from their animals.

Flu risk precautions

There are several precautionary methods people can follow to prevent contracting the disease if they fall into a high flu risk group. Firstly, if you contract the disease and you are at high risk; do not hesitate to contact a doctor. An efficient option is to contact our medical team who will be able to help advise you immediately.

To be safe, you should consider getting a prescription of anti-viral medication to keep on hand, in the case that you recognise early on that you have contracted flu. If you realise it early enough, the anti-viral drugs will help to eliminate the virus from your body.

Limit your contact with people who have suffered from flu recently, are currently suffering from it or hang around people who do. Avoid high risk areas like public swimming pools and gyms during the winter, if a strain of influenza is known to be spreading.

Have a seasonal flu vaccination. This is available from most local chemists and is worth having, especially if you are a high flu risk.