“Literally the easiest thing I can do today,” Gov. Whitmer said in a press conference that he emphasized preparations for the upcoming flu season.
“Preventing the flu will help save lives and maintain the health care resources we need to continue to fight Covid-19,” he said. “It’s more important than ever.”
The safest, cheapest way to stay healthy is to get a flu shot. But in a typical year, less than half of Americans are vaccinated (just 45% last year). Rates are comparable in the United Kingdom, where only 44.9% of registered patients aged 6 months to 64 years have been vaccinated against the flu between 2018 and 2019. In the European Union, which in 2009 committed to vaccinating at least 75% of residents under the age of 65. And the elderly, only 45% of that group were vaccinated in 2018.
According to medical experts, the Kovid-19 epidemic has spread rapidly around the world, with a new urgency to distribute the flu vaccine.
“Hospitals and doctors’ offices will be very busy caring for Kovid-19 patients, so the flu vaccine can help reduce the burden on the health care system and people who need medical care can get it,” he said. Susan Bailey, president of the Texas American Medical Association and an immunologist in Fort Worth, Texas.
However, it is not just to free up resources for Covid-19 patients.
“Influenza is a deadly disease in itself,” Bailey said.
During the 2019 to 2020 flu season, influenza killed 24,000 to 62,000 people in the United States, with the elderly, young children and pregnant women at increased risk, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting a flu shot not only reduces the risk of getting sick, it often means less serious illness.
In addition, evidence from last spring shows that it is possible to get both coronavirus and influenza at the same time. “We noticed that in some cases earlier this year, where patients had Covid-19, there were other viruses at the same time,” Bailey said.
And because the symptoms of the flu – including fever, sore throat and cough – are similar to the symptoms of Covid-19, it would be impossible to rule out a coronavirus diagnosis without testing. This means that a flu case, even if it is mild, can cause significant disruption to work and school.
In the year of the epidemic, the vaccine was released
In an interview with AMA’s JAMA Network, the U.S. Department of Disease Control and Prevention The director of the centers, Dr. “It’s as complicated a year for us as it is for us to try to get the flu off the table,” said Robert Redfield.
It requires unprecedented effort to increase flu vaccination rates, and Redfield U.S. Vaccination rate is expected to increase to 65%. The CDC projects that 194 million to 198 million doses will be available this year, an increase of about 30 million doses from the previous year.
To help bring the vaccine to people in need, the CDC purchased 9.3 million doses of the adult flu vaccine and 2 million doses of the pediatric flu vaccine. That’s a big increase from the 500,000 doses that federal agencies typically buy for uninsured adults.
But epidemics complicate distribution. In the past flu season, many Americans have been vaccinated in their workplaces. Amidst the anxiety of large gatherings, it is a rare place to give a flu shot. In addition, the epidemic led to an overall decline in childhood vaccines. While the boom has resurfaced in some places, pediatricians are concerned.
State, government agencies and private companies are moving forward to support the campaign. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System is enabling certified pharmacists to carry flu vaccines to children enrolled in Medicaid, and gift cards are handed out to members who receive shots.
To reduce the risk of contact and infection, Michigan Spectrum Health is vaccinating the curbside flu in Grand Rapids. Drive-through flu shots are also available at some Kaiser permanent locations. Flu shots are currently available at many chain drug stores, including CVS and Vag Grains.
Residents of any state can find out where the vaccine is given using the CDC’s VaccineFinder website, which partners with local health departments and clinics.
Don’t go without a flu shot
Flu shots can save lives. For some Americans, vaccination is also a staple of personal work and schooling this year.
Employees and students at the University of California system will be required to take flu shots by Nov. 1, UC Health announced in August, a decision that affects more than half a million people.
Flu shots are also required at Massachusetts education facilities for children and adolescents, beginning with child care and preschool and passing through university. Massachusetts is the first state to issue such a ruling and protests against the decision have been raised.
A bill pending in the New Jersey Legislature would also create a requirement for registration for flu vaccination. Vermont is also considering the order, said state health commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said at a Aug. 28 press conference.
That’s not all bad news
While the possibility of a double hit of Covid-19 and influenza is worrisome, it is not all catastrophic and gloomy.
Flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, which usually begins in October, is followed by winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Because the flu season in the Northern Hemisphere tends to be trending south, scientists are examining numbers in Oceania and South America for clues.
Yet, it looks pretty good.
“The low levels we are seeing are unprecedented,” said Lure Ren Sere, an emergency medicine expert and research director at the Johns Hopkins Biocontinent Unit. “While we’re still really awake, and we’re still anxious for the flu season, we hope to have the same experience when we get here.
Reflective drops in Chile and South Africa have reduced the incidence of influenza in Australia in 2020 compared to recent years. In part, this may be due to an increase in vaccination rates. A record number of flu vaccines were made in Australia this year. In Buenos Aires, flu shot clinics have sprung up in revived day care centers and churches.
But the low incidence of influenza infection also reflects the precautions taken to combat Covid-19.
“Social distance activities, hand washing, steps around touching your face – it’s all exceptionally helpful for the flu,” Soure said. Studies have shown that wearing a mask can also help.
Another bright spot is the creative solutions for vaccinating in epidemics, which Solar Outwist Covid-19 wants to see. “It’s very important to make it easy for people to get the flu vaccine, and I hope we adopt something valuable,” he said, citing efforts to provide vaccinations outside of traditional health care settings.
Saure also said that the mandatory flu vaccine is a good sign, and an important step in reducing influenza deaths now and in the future. In fact, the flu vaccine is required by Johns Hopkins Medicine, where Solar works, since 2012. It works well.
“It’s such a rewarding approach,” he said. “It’s not only for the system, but also for the person who gets the vaccine, and for our patients and our community.”
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