Last year’s flu season came amid a wave of COVID-19, which raised concerns of a “twindemia,” in which coronavirus and flu would circulate simultaneously. Health resources would be further expanded and some people could contract both diseases at the same time.
That didn’t happen last year, but it’s a real possibility this year. Remember that last flu season, most of us still dressed up when we went out in public because the vaccine was not yet widely available. The 2020-2021 flu season was a startling failure—Igood way. Positive flu tests were rare, only 0.2%, compared to typical flu rates about 30%. There was only one a death of a child from influenza, compared with 37 to 199 in recent years.
But this year, COVID vaccines have allowed us to return to something closer to normal, although the pandemic is definitely not over yet. The CDC even warns that with the population’s immunity reduced due to a lack of infections last year, we could be in an “early and possibly severe flu season”.
Keep in mind this reminder that if you go out without a mask and no longer wash your hands religiously, you still run the risk of catching and spreading the flu. So don’t forget to get the flu shot.
What do I need to know about this year’s flu vaccine?
As always, the flu vaccine is free with insurance (the law requires you to be fully covered, even if you haven’t met your deductible) and taking is recommended for everyone except babies under 6 months. If you have a baby at home, protect it by making sure you and the other baby caregivers are vaccinated.
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All flu vaccines will be protected against four different strains of flu, including two types A and two types B. (In recent years, some dams only had three.) There is still a high-dose option and an adjuvanted option, both intended for persons over 65 years of age immune systems may not respond as well to normal firing. That said, if a high-dose vaccine cannot be obtained, the normal one is considered good enough.
It is important that you tin take a flu shot at the same time as a dose of COVID vaccine, if you still need it. When COVID vaccines were first introduced, the CDC recommended putting a two-week waiting period before or after any other. dose of vaccine. This rule is now gone; says the CDC the flu vaccine and COVID can be obtained on the same day, if you want.