Health experts say more people will be infected with influenza this season unless countries take steps to increase vaccine production. The disease kills thousands of people every year. And this year the World Health Organization says a shortage of vaccines and new strains of the virus could cause an epidemic.
Dr. Klaus Stohr heads the global influenza program at the W-H-O. He says influenza is not just a problem in the temperate regions but that it takes an even deadlier toll on the populations of developing nations.
Dr. Klaus says the only effective prevention against the disease is to get vaccinated before infection occurs. He told English to Africa reporter Chinedu Offor about some common misconceptions about the disease. These include mistaking the disease for the common cold or believing the flu only attacks a particular race.