As winter approaches, the flu season is getting closer and closer. By this time last year, many people would have likely already received the flu shot. However, there is a large obstacle hindering easy access to vaccinations in general: the COVID-19 pandemic.
So why is it important to receive the flu shot anyway?
According to a University of California San Francisco article, “40 million to 50 million Americans may catch the flu, with some 800,000 requiring hospitalization.” This surge in hospitalizations could overwhelm the hospital: along with COVID-19, that could increase the timeframe people need to “flatten the curve,” a phrase repeatedly emphasized during the early stage of the pandemic.
According to a KQED article that interviewed Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, another professor at UCSF of medicine, the best time to receive the flu shot is “around mid-to-late October” because “right around early November, the antibodies should have developed, just as flu season is getting serious.”
In addition to hospitals, pharmacies are expecting an increase in demand for flu vaccines. Last week, STAT news reported that “the drugstore chain Rite Aid has purchased 40% more influenza vaccines than other years to meet an expected uptick in demand. Walgreens has also increased its flu vaccine stockpile this year, anticipating a 30% to 50% jump in customers who will want flu shots or other immunizations.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that for 2020 and 2021, “getting a flu vaccine is an essential part of protecting your health and your family’s health this season,” as there is the possibility of people simultaneously battling infections from the flu and COVID-19. CDC elaborates on the difficulty of differentiating between the two, stating that “some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, making it hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone.” There is even a test for both flu and COVID-19 in the making, as CDC has developed a test “for A and B type seasonal flu viruses and SARS-CoV-2… [to be] used by U.S. public health laboratories.”
Interestingly, evidence shows a correlation between the probability of receiving a flu shot to the probability of accepting the future vaccine for coronavirus. According to a TIME article, Abram Wagner, a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s department of epidemiology, found in an unpublished study that in August, out of 881 Americans, those “who got a flu shot in the previous year were 363% more likely to want the flu shot again this year” and that “those who received a flu shot during the last influenza season were 63% more likely to be planning to get the COVID-19 vaccine than those who did not.”
Overall, health experts strongly advocate getting a flu shot for the sake of decreasing hospitalization rates and lessening confusion between COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases. It is especially important now to receive a flu shot to make hospital beds available for people with severe cases of COVID-19 that require medical attention.
References
@priyanka_runwal, Priyanka Runwal, et al. “Pharmacies Are Bracing for a Surge in Flu Shot Demand amid Pandemic.” STAT, 25 Sept. 2020, www.statnews.com/2020/09/25/flu-shots-covid-19-pandemic-demand/.
“Frequently Asked Influenza (Flu) Questions: 2020-2021 Season.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 Sept. 2020, www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm.
Law, Tara. “This Year's Flu Vaccine Will Be Vital in COVID-19 Fight.” Time, Time, 7 Oct. 2020, time.com/5895332/flu-vaccine-covid-19/.
Severn, Carly. “When Should You Get Your Flu Shot?” KQED, 18 Sept. 1970, www.kqed.org/news/11838604/when-should-you-get-your-flu-shot.
“Why COVID-19 Means You Need a Flu Shot This Year.” Why COVID-19 Means You Need a Flu Shot This Year | UC San Francisco, 7 Oct. 2020, www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/09/418406/why-covid-19-means-you-need-flu-shot-year.
Article written by Keya Mann
Article edited by Lucy Ge
Graphics by Karis Kelly
Group advised by Sadia Akbar