Despite the pandemic this fall and winter, some things will stay the same. The leaves will change and drop. The weather will turn colder. We might get a snow day (maybe). And the flu will likely make an appearance.
That’s why health officials are desperate for people to get their flu shots this year because the convergence of COVID-19 and the flu on the nation’s healthcare system could be catastrophic.
Of course, COVID-19 is a much bigger concern in the country right now due to how quickly it spreads. There have been nearly 14 million cases reported nationwide with over 270,000 deaths. The flu, on the other hand, typically kills between 20-30,000 in a nine month period. That is an infection rate of less than one percent.
But despite being less deadly than COVID-19, healthcare professionals are worried about the additional influenza cases adding to the crisis of hospitalization due to shortages of staff, equipment and hospital beds around the country. If people do not get flu shots, the combination could be extremely hard, if not impossible, for doctors to handle.
Traditionally, only about 51 percent of people get their flu shots which is much lower number than most people might expect. But flu vaccination helps prevent the flue or may reduce the severity of flu, therefore reducing the number of patients needing hospitalization and intensive care units and alleviating some of the stress on the U.S. healthcare system.
Per the CDC, the best time to get vaccinated is October, but if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, they advise that you take care of it sooner rather than later. CVS provides information about where you can get a flu shot locally on their website.
