COVID-19 and The Flu A Good Year to Get the Flu Shot – TAPinto.net

As we enter the beginning of the flu season, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, what does this clash of the pandemic and the flu mean for you and your family? This year, more than ever, we are strongly encouraging everyone to get the flu shot. If enough of the population gets vaccinated, more than the 45% who got the flu shot last flu season - it could help derail a dangerous situation that we, as physicians, are concerned about in the upcoming winter months. The addition of another respiratory illness on top of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could overburden the health care system, strain testing capacity, and increase the risk of catching both diseases at once.

Generally, influenza viruses begin circulating in mid-to late October but increasingly become more widespread in the later winter months. After you receive the flu shot, it takes about two weeks for antibodies which circulate in the blood and help to prevent infections to build up. I strongly recommend that everyone age 6 months and up (with rare exceptions) receive the flu vaccine this fall to prevent either acquiring the influenza virus or developing severe influenza. The younger populations should get their flu shots now and I recommend that the elderly and other vulnerable populations begin to get their flu shots now. The CDC has recommended that everyone should have had their flu vaccine by the end of October, but also noted that it is never too late to get your flu shot. The benefits of getting a flu vaccine highly outweigh the risks of getting it later than October.

The seasonal flu vaccine will not interfere with the bodys ability to fight off COVID-19. Both the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses will be circulating in our communities this fall and winter. Even though the flu vaccine will not prevent all cases of the flu, getting vaccinated can help to lessen the severity if you do fall ill. Plus, it will help us, as physicians, to differentiate between the diseases if you develop any symptoms fever, cough, sore throat that they both share. It is also possible to be infected with the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, although it is too soon to tell how common such co-infections will be.

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It is critical to be vaccinated against the flu this year to stay as healthy as possible during the pandemic, protect people who are vulnerable, and keep hospitals from being inundated with both flu and COVID-19 patients. Last season, influenza caused 39 million to 56 million illnesses, 410,000 to 740,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 to 62,000 deaths between Oct. 1 and April 4 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By being vaccinated, you are not just protecting yourself; you are also protecting other people you may come into contact with, including people who are not able to get the vaccine.

Changebridge Medical Associates is hosting flu vaccine clinics on the following dates: October 10th & 24th, November 7th & 21st and December 5th and 19th from 9 AM 12 PM. Please share these dates with your friends and family as you do not need to be a patient to sign up for one of our flu vaccine clinics. Ifyou are not a patient, you will need to register at our office once you arrive. Please call our office if you have any questions 973.575.5540.

Dr. Anna Zimmerman is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician at Changebridge Medical Associates, a member of Consensus Health, in Montville, and has been practicing medicine and serving the community of Morris County for 13 years. Dr. Zimmerman specializes in Internal Medicine and Preventative Gynecology. When she is not working, Dr. Zimmerman enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family. Born in Iran, she is trilingual and speaks Farsi and French as well as English.

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COVID-19 and The Flu A Good Year to Get the Flu Shot - TAPinto.net