Everyone Should Be Vaccinated against Influenza: Riverside County Health Authority

Riverside County, CA — Health officials in Riverside County reported 188 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus and six deaths associated with the virus on Thursday to prepare for the flu season in the COVID-19 pandemic. We held a news briefing.

During the briefing, authorities requested all residents to be vaccinated against the flu.

Dr. Andy Williams, senior clinical pharmacist at the Riverside University Health System, said the flu vaccine is “very well tolerated” and causes few side effects. “There is little reason why you shouldn’t receive it,” he said.

The promotion of vaccination by health authorities is backed by concerns about keeping the local economy open and keeping local hospitals running smoothly.

Part of the state’s criteria for further resumption is the COVID-19 hospitalization rate, which continues to decline until well below the state threshold. The “red layer” where Riverside County is currently located.

Still, capacity can be an issue if influenza and COVID-19 hospitalizations increase when the weather is cold.

According to RUHS health officials, influenza vaccination is an easy and safe way to control influenza-related hospitalizations and keep people away from emergency rooms.

“We are all encouraged to get the flu shot and get it early,” said Dr. Ron McComm of RUHS.

After being vaccinated against the flu, it takes about two weeks for the body’s immune system to be fully “optimized.” This explains why some people still get the flu within a few weeks after vaccination.

County officials said 2020 influenza vaccinations are safe for people over 6 months, including those with egg allergies. The vaccine is tetravalent, contains both A & B strains, and county authorities do not anticipate a vaccine shortage.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu season from 2019 to 2020 began on October 1st and ended in the United States until April 4th. During that period, the CDC reported 39 to 56 million influenza illnesses in the United States and had 18 to 26 million influenza-related medical visits. There were 400,000 to 740,000 influenza hospitalizations and 24,000 to 62,000 influenza deaths.

According to Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County Public Health Officer, there were eight flu-related deaths in Riverside County during the 2019-20 season, down one from the previous year.

According to healthcare professionals, people with a color community and comorbidities are at greatest risk of developing serious influenza and COVID-19 complications.

The symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza may be similar, but some of the more prominent symptoms of COVID-19 are loss of taste and smell, and increased shortness of breath.

So far, the number of influenza this season is low. According to authorities, the same health precautions that prevent the spread of COVID-19-face covering, social distance, frequent hand washing-also prevent the spread of influenza.

We hope that the measures will already help prevent the outbreak of influenza.

“The numbers are small, and we want to stay low,” Kaiser said.

Many clinics in the county offer free flu shots. The following COVID-19 test site will offer free shots the next day.
October 16 — Lake Elsinore Stadium Test Site
October 19 — Riverside Sears Test Site
October 26 — Indio Fairgrounds Test Site

COVID-19 continues to infect residents as county officials prepare for the flu season. According to RUHS, the total number of COVID-19 cases is currently 57,883, with 1,179 deaths.

A total of 141 patients were hospitalized throughout the county for viral treatment as of Thursday, nine fewer than Wednesday. This number includes 40 patients in the intensive care unit, two fewer than the previous day.