MWC
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – There has been a lot of focus on COVID-19 since it arrived on U.S. soil earlier this year, but as we turn the corner into flu season – local health officials are urging everyone to get the flu vaccine more than ever. The state Department of Health Services also echoed that rhetoric on Wednesday.
Getting the flu isn’t fun. Getting COVID-19…also, not a good time. But there is one major difference between the two, at least for now.
“Probably this year more than any year in modern history, the influenza vaccine is going to play a huge role,” said Prevea Health CEO Dr. Ashok Rai. “I think we’ve got to use all the tools that are on the table. What we’re trying to do is prevent a huge stress on the hospital systems by having people that are sick with either or both, because we do know that those patients are more likely to get hospitalized.”
While generally unlikely, it is possible to contract concurrent infections – in other words, have both COVID-19 and influenza at the same time. Doctors say that situation would be significantly worse than either of them alone, which is why flu vaccinations are being pushed even harder than usual.
“At-risk people, even people who aren’t normally at risk, are going to get very, very sick – if not die – from having both at the same time,” Rai said. “We have very few tools to mitigate COVID-19 outside of testing and masking. With influenza, we have testing, masking, and the ability to vaccinate.”
While there are trials and tests being run to formulate a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, it likely won’t be available to the general public for another several months at the earliest.
Dr. Rai did share some optimism, however, about this flu season. With all of the precautions and suggestions being proposed surrounding the pandemic, similar tools could actually impact the severity of the spread of influenza.
“One of our biggest hopes is that the flu drops off big time this year between immunization, distancing, masking, washing our hands, and not going in public when you’re sick. Probably the most important thing that we can stress is stay home if you’re sick,” Rai told WTAQ News. “For us to be able actually survive the winter of COVID-19 that’s upon us, we’re going to need to be smart wherever we can be, and being smart with influenza is a huge step forward.”
This year’s flu vaccine is expected to be rolled out within the next few weeks. Health care staff and others who need it will be immunized first, then health systems will work to ensure that every person who wants to be immunized receives the vaccine.
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