Lois Meeker, a registered nurse at Community Hospital Anderson, administers a COVID-19 vaccine shot to colleague Jessica Bannon. Health officials are concerned that a more severe flu season coupled with rising COVID cases due to the delta variant could put additional strain on many health care systems that are already operating close to capacity. Submitted photo
More information
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots this fall contingent on an FDA evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. But even though the boosters could be available as early as this fall, CDC officials for now are sticking with recommendations that boosters be taken eight months after a second COVID vaccine shot.
The Madison County Health Department is recommending flu vaccinations as normal for residents this year. Flu shots are available at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, and the health department plans to offer shots through its clinics and mobile unit at locations throughout the county in the coming weeks.
“My message as we head into flu season is still very heavy on prevention of all infections,” said Stephenie Grimes, administrator with the health department. “Hand washing is so important. Stay home if you’re sick, regardless of the illness. Vaccines for both COVID and the flu are encouraged.”
ANDERSON — For more than 18 months, the coronavirus pandemic has dominated news cycles and captured the nation’s attention. But as the U.S. enters the flu season amid rising COVID cases due largely to the delta variant, medical professionals are warning of the potential for a considerably more severe round of influenza.
Last year’s flu season was the mildest on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with documented cases numbering less than 3,000 from September 2020 through May 2021. However, a variety of factors that helped render flu cases nearly nonexistent last year may contribute to a resurgence this winter — and with COVID cases rising to levels not seen since early January, the potential is there for what health officials are calling a “twindemic.”
“Each year influenza typically will push hospital systems in their capacities,” said Dr. Christopher Belcher, infection prevention medical director at Ascension St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. “Each and every year it happens, to different degrees — there are certainly some better (years) than others — but when you start adding that type of illness on top of what we’re seeing with the coronavirus, it’s just going to push the healthcare systems that much more, and it’s going to be harder to keep things up and running.”
Belcher said that in a typical year, between 8,000 and 40,000 people die from various strains of the flu. Projecting the severity of an outbreak, health experts say, is difficult in any year, but the presence of COVID makes that task even more challenging. Mitigation measures such as masks, social distancing and increased hand washing may have helped curb flu cases last year, but those measures also sheltered many people from exposure to influenza, which is commonly thought to help build immunity to it.
“In 2020 we had such a light respiratory year that we have these populations who are vulnerable and haven’t seen those viruses,” Belcher said. “Now they’re circulating and taking advantage of that.”
Many local schools returned to in-person classroom instruction at the beginning of the academic year and are committed to maintaining that environment. Those decisions are also considered factors in heightening the possibility of exposure, according to Dr. Thomas Short, M.D. of emergency medicine at Community Hospital Anderson. He added that safeguards against COVID should provide a measure of protection against influenza.
“Since flu and COVID share routes of transmission, concerns and precautions for one will help reduce the risk of the other,” Short said.
Additional apprehension stems from states loosening mask mandates and social gatherings becoming more commonplace.
“I do have concerns as we head into flu season, as influenza and COVID have similar symptoms,” said Stephenie Mellinger, administrator with the Madison County Health Department. “It’s too soon to tell if this year’s flu will be a mild, moderate or a more severe strain. Even a moderate flu can tax hospitals, and we’re in a time when hospitals are near maximum capacity as it is.”
Many people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are now considering booster shots, which a CDC advisory committee has discussed recommending this fall. The agency recently reversed course on its guidance suggesting that people wait at least 14 days between their second COVID vaccine and a booster. But experts caution that immune-compromised patients should consult with their physician before getting a booster shot.
“There’s been so many of these vaccines given now that we do have the experience to say it can be given without regard to timing of any other vaccine,” Belcher said. “There’s no other waiting periods or anything — just get it when you can get it.”
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.