Influenza vaccination is highly recommended this year

September 29, 2021- Delta variant COVID-19, which is still rampant in the United States, and some intensive care units in the United States coronavirus, Experts have expressed concern about the additional risk of difficulty influenza season.

2021-after last year’s flu season did not appear when the two mathematical models seemed to have the additional benefit of stopping public health measures introduced to control COVID-19. Influenza predicts a significant recovery in the number and severity of influenza cases in 22 seasons.

But both analyzes were posted to medRxiv The preprint server has not yet been peer-reviewed by other experts, but has reached the same conclusion. The flu may come back this year.

In the worst-case scenario, the United States could see an additional 300,000-400,000 hospitalizations due to the flu-almost twice as normal-Senior Research Author Mark Roberts, MD, Director of the University’s Institute for Public Health Dynamics. According to Pittsburgh. These numbers can be a disaster in areas where hospitals are already full of COVID-19 patients.

Naturally decline Immunity Due to the lack of the flu season last year, the general public may be more likely to be infected with the virus, especially toddlers.

“Usually a combination of nature Immunity Vaccination helps prevent seasonal flu, “says Roberts. vaccination.. “

In a typical year, about half of Americans are vaccinated against the flu. A new mathematical model predicts that vaccination rates need to be raised to about 75% to avoid extra hospitalizations. However, even with a 10% increase in vaccination rates, hospitalization can be reduced by 6% to 46%, depending on the predominant strain.

The Southern Hemisphere flu season, usually from February to August, helps show what the Northern Hemisphere can expect in the coming winter. However, countries such as Australia, New Zealand and most of South America still have strict COVID-19 measures and restrictions on overseas travel, making this year’s influenza infection the lowest ever, the world said. Deputy Director Dr. Ian Barr said. Health Organization Cooperation Center for Influenza Reference and Research in Melbourne, Australia.

Australia has detected only about 500 cases this year, compared to about 300,000 in normal years, with no recorded hospitalizations or deaths from influenza. New Zealand recorded only two cases.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Barr.

Due to the mild flu season in Australia, fewer people are vaccinated against the flu. The rate has dropped from about 50% to just 33%, says Barr. “If that happened in the United States, the population would be even more vulnerable because there was little flu for more than 12 months,” he says.

Both Roberts and Bar say it is important to vaccinate as many people as possible, especially children with little nature, during the next flu season. Immunity To the virus.

“NS vaccination It’s our best weapon against the flu, especially for the highest-risk groups, “says Barr.

In other parts of the world, the results were mixed. There were many cases of influenza in India, but few in neighboring Sri Lanka. Very high levels of circulating virus were also found in West Africa. Overall, influenza was detected in 45 countries during the Southern Hemisphere season. That’s less than half what you would expect in a normal year, Barr says.

Despite the small number overall, WHO has enough data Make two changes To the Southern Hemisphere next year vaccination Prescribed at the September 24th meeting after changing only one strain of the Northern Hemisphere vaccine at the February meeting last year.

NS CDC is recommended With a few exceptions, all people over the age of 6 months are vaccinated against the flu.