A DOUBLE THREAT
During the coronavirus pandemic, getting a flu shot is a priority
The coronavirus has put a stop to a lot of things this year, but the flu season will not be added to the cancellations list.
“This (coronavirus) pandemic has truly tried and tested every aspect of not only health care, but our society,” said Dr. Jeffrey Held, vice president of medical affairs for Penn State Health St. Joseph. “This influenza season will be the most unique we’ve experienced probably since 1918 when the last pandemic happened.”
Angie Nicholas, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, said if influenza and coronavirus seasons converge, it may be difficult to differentiate one illness from the other. So, warding off one, she said, will be beneficial.
“While we do not know what will happen in the fall with flu and COVID, the CDC believes that it’s likely that the flu virus and COVID virus will both be spreading. The symptoms are similar for both viruses. The CDC recommends flu shots for all over 6 months of age receive a flu shot.”
When enough of the population is protected from a virus, in this case by a vaccine, it creates herd immunity, which protects those who are unable to get the vaccine.
This year, herd immunity will help prevent a second pandemic from starting while the country is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our concerns are we’re going to see more flu cases come the fall and winter months like we do every season,” said Dr. Debra Powell, chief of the section of infectious diseases and medical director of infection prevention for Tower Health. “We’re never quite sure how bad the flu season’s going to be. All we have are predictions. We also have COVID, which we also expect to see increase during the same time frame. They’ll be compounding problems.”
Every year community members are encouraged to get their flu shots. This year, health care professionals are strongly recommending everyone, even those who believe they are not at risk, to protect themselves.
“The best thing to do is to get the flu vaccine,” Held said. “The ideal time is between the latter part of September to before Thanksgiving.”
Flu shot clinics
Due to the current pandemic, how people get their flu shots this year will be a bit different than in prior years. Health systems and organizations are developing and finalizing plans on how best to safely offer flu shots to the community.
Einstein is offering flu shots are available at all Einstein Physician primary care offices. And Nicholas emphasized the importance of getting the vaccine.
“People over 65 are at higher risk for flu morbidity and death. CDC studies show that people 65 years and older account for 70 to 85 percent of flu-related deaths and 50 to 70 percent of flu-related hospitalizations each flu season. In addition, those over 65 tend to have less of an immune response to vaccines. The high dose flu vaccine was created for them specifically to have better immunity. I think people are more inclined this year to get the flu shot. Many patients have stated while in previous years they did not get the flu shot, they were interested this year.”
Tower Health is also adjusting how its flu shots will be offered this year.
Typically, the health system has large community flu clinics, which is not recommended this year because large gatherings are contrary to COVID-19 protocols. Instead, flu shots will be available through primary care providers and outpatient flu shot areas.
Powell is also working with county officials on developing a flu shot plan for the entire county this fall.
“And taking this also to the highest risk areas that we’ve seen in our city of Reading, too,” she said. “We want to take it to neighborhood churches, community centers and other areas to get the people who might have limited access to health care.”
“Our concerns are we’re going to see more flu cases come the fall and winter months like we do every season. We’re never quite sure how bad the flu season’s going to be. All we have are predictions. We also have COVID, which we also expect to see increase during the same time frame. They’ll be compounding problems.”
— Dr. Debra Powell, chief of the section of infectious diseases and medical director of infection prevention for Tower Health.
Held and Powell are hopeful that there will be an increase in the number of people seeking flu shots this year.
“I think vaccines are the ideal way to prevent the spread of many diseases and if you look at the history of vaccines great examples are smallpox and polio,” Held said.
Smallpox was eliminated through vaccinations and though polio has not been eliminated, it is far more rare to see someone with the disease now than prior to vaccinations.
More people may also have vaccines on their mind due to increased talks of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed.
“The more conversations we have about vaccine-preventable diseases, and we’re talking about a COVID-19 vaccine coming possibly late winter or early spring, I think people now understand how vaccines can prevent diseases and prevent death,” Powell said. “We’ve gotten spoiled because we have really great vaccines and the majority of people get them, but not everyone. By vaccinating more people, we get that herd immunity that protects the people who can’t get the vaccine.”
Flu and COVID-19
One of the other reasons it is important for as much of the community as possible to protect itself from the flu is because the symptoms for the flu and COVID-19 overlap, the experts said.
Common symptoms associated with both include fever, shortness of breath and cough. While COVID-19 has additional symptoms such as loss of taste or smell and gastrointestinal issues, the only way to determine if someone has the flu or COVID-19 will be through testing.
As with COVID-19, if left untreated the flu can progress to pneumonia, which can then lead to death. Powell encourage those with elderly and otherwise at-risk family members to check on them often during the winter months.
Be it the flu or any other illness, it is important that people do not delay treatment due to fear of exposure to COVID-19.
Held said the unintended consequence of asking the public’s help in flattening the curve to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed during the pandemic as was seen in other areas is people being afraid to come to the hospitals for needed treatment.
The COVID-19 curve has been flattened, but Held has seen more ambulance traffic coming to the hospital and fewer people coming into the emergency room seeking treatment. That means the people coming into the hospital by ambulance are sicker than they possibly would have been due to delaying treatment.
Those still uncomfortable with seeking treatment in person can use technology to speak with doctors via phone or video call to determine the best course of care, the doctors said.
Precautions are the same
The best way for individuals to protect themselves and the community from the flu is to get vaccinated. Even then, it is not impossible for a new strain of influenza A or another virus to cause problems as COVID-19 has.
“Just because we have one pandemic going on doesn’t excuse us from having a different virus pop up so it is possible that we may get a new strain (of influenza A) circulating this year due to antigenic shift we haven’t seen before,” Powell said. “The influenza virus mutates pretty quickly. So that is a possibility.”
The good news is the steps the community has been taking to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 are also effective with the flu.
“The things that we’re currently doing to protect ourselves from COVID will work very effectively with the flu,” Held said. “Washing your hands, masking, social distancing, avoiding large crowds, all of those things I think are extremely important to protect yourself form COVID and the flu, and keeping yourself health is really going to be extremely important.”
The health systems will provide more information on flu shot clinics once plans are finalized.
Flu shots are available at pharmacies and in store pharmacies including Rite Aid, CVS, Giant, Weis, Walgreens, Target and others.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the best place to start for those who are having trouble finding a flu clinic is to consult with a family physician. The department also suggests using vaccine finders such as vaccinefinder. org.