After the record flu season in Australia is over, the United States wants the same. general

(CNN)-Australia and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere have just reached the record end of the simplest season of flu, and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere can also have an easy time-people prevent flu If you are vaccinated, wear a mask at a social distance.

“This may be one of the best seasons of the flu [we’ve had]]. Dr. Robert Redfield of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American Medical Association Journal In August. “Especially [people] Another thing to do. It’s about confidently accepting the flu vaccine. “

It’s more important than ever to prevent influenza, as Covid-19 develops in addition to influenza this fall and winter.

In addition to flu vaccination, Redfield encouraged people to wear masks, keep social distances, wash their hands, and be smart about the crowd.

If the Americans chose not to follow the advice, he said WebMD, The country is likely to experience the “worst fall” in the history of US public health.

A brief season of influenza in the Southern Hemisphere

In the Southern Hemisphere, the flu season is generally April to SeptemberAccording to, just experienced a record flu season World Health Organization..

Take Australia for example.

In August 2019, there were 61,000 confirmed cases of influenza in Australia.

In August 2020, there were 107 people.

“This is not the season in effect,” said Ian Burr, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Melbourne. “I’ve never seen a number like this before.”

South cones in South Africa and South America had similar experiences.

Dr. Andrea Vicari, adviser of pandemic illnesses at Pan American Health Organization, said: ..

Most of the reason is Covid-19.

The Southern Hemisphere influenza season began just around the same time Covid-19 hit. All the precautions people took to control the new virus (being at home, keeping a distance from them, wearing masks) also helped keep the flu numbers low.

“Many of the physical distances and public health measures that have been taken to keep people apart may actually have played a role in reducing people’s circulation. [coronavirus]” Maria Van Kerkhove, Covid-19 Technical Leader of the World Health Organization, said:

Vicari said Covid could have also affected people who were vaccinated against the flu.

“I think there was a lot of urgency with the flu shot compared to the previous season,” he said.

He also said that a significant number of people may have already had immunity to the influenza virus, which is already circulating in the Southern Hemisphere.

Effects on the Northern Hemisphere

Infectious disease experts have warned that the easy fall of the flu season does not necessarily mean the United States will be lucky.

“Predicting influenza is extremely dangerous,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

He said he was concerned about the flu and the “twindemic” of Covid-19, even though the Southern Hemisphere had low influenza levels, which could kill lives and strain the healthcare system.

Looking at the number of hospitalizations, the burden of two viruses is shown at the same time.

It is estimated for 2019-2020 During the US influenza season, 410,000 to 740,000 were hospitalized for the flu.

At least 372,217 people have been hospitalized for Covid-19 in the US since March, according to Covid Tracking Project figures. And a model from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation The University of Washington predicts that hospital bed usage for Covid-19 patients will increase by 170% from now to January 1.

“From a resource perspective, that is the worst possibility,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “It’s a really complete storm.”

Therefore, this year’s influenza vaccination is especially important.

“Obtaining that flu vaccine may help you eliminate the need to pick up a hospital bed, and that hospital bed may be better for people who may be hospitalized for Covid. It may be available,” Redfield told WedMD.

The symptoms of influenza and coronavirus are so similar that even making a correct diagnosis can be difficult.

“We won’t be able to quickly distinguish whether someone has the flu or someone has the covid,” said WHO van Carhove.

Doctors need to do more tests than usual, but tests for both influenza and Covid-19 are incomplete.

In addition, the outbreaks of both viruses can mean a lack of personal protective equipment for health care workers.

“It really will drain our PPE stock very quickly,” said Osterholm.

Plan for this year’s influenza vaccination

of Center for Disease Control and Prevention We recommend that anyone over 6 months be vaccinated against the flu.

Influenza vaccinations work: 2018-19 flu season in the US, vaccine avoids more than 4 million illnesses, 2 million doctor visits, approximately 58,000 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths , CDC..

According to Redfield, the CDC purchased 10 million doses of influenza vaccine this year for uninsured adults, compared to the usual 500,000 doses.

“Don’t shelve this important achievement of American medicine on yourself, your family, your church, your workforce,” he said in an interview with WebMD.

But the increase in supply does not mean that Americans are in a hurry to get the flu shot.

Historically, only about 45% of US adults and 63% of children are vaccinated against the flu CDC..

This year has its own set of obstacles.

According to 2018, about one-third of adults and 80% of children in the United States are vaccinated against influenza at doctors’ offices. CDC Investigation.

This year, many people are hesitant to go to the doctor for fear of catching Covid.

Studies show that about 15% of adults are vaccinated against influenza. Many people work from home this year.

“It will be a challenge,” Osterholm said, “how do you plan to get our flu shot?”

In August, the Trump administration allowed state-approved pharmacists to vaccinate children from the age of three to help them get more flu shots. did.

Schaffner said he is particularly worried about the color community, which is already causing an abnormal amount of illness and death.

“We really want to extend the flu shot to colored communities and lower socio-economic regions. And those communities have been very traditionally vaccinated. They are not anti-vaccines. -It’s another group-as they are confident about the benefits of vaccination, it’s hard to reach them,” Schaffner said.

He says the National Infectious Disease Foundation and other organizations are beginning to spread the word to encourage people to accept influenza vaccination.

“I want to focus more on the color and minority communities, but unfortunately I’m not very smart about how to do that,” Schaffner said.