Flu shots are urged now more than ever
Health officials seek to avoid twin surges of influenza, COVID-19.
Flu shots are urged more than ever this year, as health offifficials seek to avoid the challenge of twin surges of influenza and COVID-19.
Annual flu shots have long been recommended for all people six months and older, with rare exceptions, as a way to prevent sickness and death. The flu shot reduces the risk for people, their household and workplace, and other people around them, and can lessen the severity of illness if they get sick.
“I’ve always recommended flu shots starting the beginning of October, but this year I would just push people to start getting their flu shots now,” said Dr. Glen Solomon, chair of internal medicine and neurology at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.
Significant spread of multiple respiratory viruses means challenges in identifying what illness a person has. While people with the flu should stay home if sick, people infectious with the highly contagious new coronavirus should isolate, their recent close contacts should be alerted and quarantine, and any medical providers that treat them should be properly outfitted with personal protective equipment.
Solomon said COVID-19 can have some symptoms that don’t comewith flu, such as that some patients temporarily lose their sense of taste and smell.
“But it’s going to be difficult for people to separate out what they have,” Solomon.
He said measures to prevent COVID-19 like keeping distance andwearing masks also reduce the risk of flu.
“The things we’re doing to prevent the one will help prevent the other,” he said.
The flu season can also takeuplots of hospital capacity, including last yearwhen flu cases pushed the Miami Valley Hospital emergency department to capacity. If flu and COVID-19 cases both surge at the same time, that could strain hospital staff, beds and supplies as they work to care for all patients.
Sarah Hack en br ac ht, CEO of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, said hospitals in the region have been working on plans for this flu season.
“Everything fromvaccinations, to the management of PPE, to protecting employeesand protecting patients -— they are looking at the entire continuum, along with educating community providers and partners about the symptomsof flu andCOVID19 to help align what will need to happen from a testing perspective,” Hackenbracht said.
Some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick, such as people 65 and older; people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease; pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years.
On average, 83% of Ohio short-stay nursing homeresidents and 96% of long-stay nursing home residents get the flu shot. People can call a nursinghometo learn about resident options for getting a flu vaccine and lookup a facility’ s recent flu vaccination rates at medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare by searchingfor a particular facility and then clicking on their “Quality of Care” metrics.
Flu vaccines have been recently arriving in the area.
JasonBriscoe, Discount Drug Mart director of pharmacy operations, said they have received flu vaccines at all locations, have been vaccinating patients.
“We have seen a significant increase influand other important immunizations compared to the same time last year,” Briscoe said.
Flu vaccines are expected to arrive soon at the Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County vaccination clinic.
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio has not offered flu shots in previous years, but in light of the pandemic and because it is the onlyhealth careprovider for some of its patients, staff are trying to get an inventory of the vaccine for its four family planning centers.
“We understand the importance of accessing care and are committed to ensuring our patients and surrounding communities remain healthy during this difficult time,” said Maya McKenzie, spokeswomanfor Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio.