It’s the flu season and it’s time to be shot.What’s different this year

When you go down the street, you will see a sign outside the local pharmacy. vaccination Bringing in was welcome. Inside, a line for taking shots is stretched into the aisle. However, we were not in the COVID-19 vaccine jab queue. I was waiting for a flu shot in 2021.

The flu season is here again, and their viral infections overlap with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “Twindemic“Of the two different dangerous illnesses that cause (especially) dyspnea, hospitalization and millions of deaths, the national blockade that mixes with annual flu shots and keeps people away is two of last year’s infections. It helped a lot to fend off heavy explosions, but things have changed this year and many other viruses, such as RSV and rhinovirus, are back, and influenza could follow.

While the usa is watching Rapid increase in coronavirus infection In winter, The spread of influenza was rarely minor.. But this year, millions of people in the United States could return to the typical pattern of being infected with the flu virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, And tens of thousands have died from influenza-related causes. With COVID-19 vaccine Booster shot Currently approved- Mix and match shot -Expected to mix. (When COVID-19 antiviral drug ) And with that, the possibility of an increase in influenza and new Wave of delta variant COVID infection In an era when people’s attitudes towards masking and social distance have become a political issue as well as a public health concern.

We talked to three flu vaccine experts about what to expect for this flu season-read their practical guidance and concerns.Learn more about influenza Where you can get your shot In 2021, Side effects of influenza vaccination You may experience, and why epidemiologists suggest taking both COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccination..

Get a flu shot.now

In the United States (and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere), the flu season is usually from October to May, according to the experts we spoke with. However, the influenza virus is not very interested in the seasons and is interested in its spread. Therefore, experts warn that the timing of this year can be unpredictable due to changes in our own behavior over the seasonal flu and pandemics of last year’s flu.

However, it does not try to match the timing of influenza vaccination with the timing of influenza vaccination.For preparation, experts recommend you Get the flu vaccine now..

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“It’s normal time to expect the flu.” Peter Chin Hong, Doctor and professor of infectious disease health department University of California, San Francisco, Told CNET. “But this year can be atypical or long-lasting, so people need to be prepared for it.”

A similar shift in the timing of seasonal viral infections occurred this summer. America When Japan According to Chin Hong, schoolchildren have seen a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. This is because students were not exposed to the virus in the winter before the RSV infection usually occurred, so immunity did not build up and the virus spread in the summer instead.

What you need to know about the effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine

Vaccine makers monitor the current flu strains and predict that they are most likely to become the predominant strains during the next flu season. These pharmaceutical companies then use three, and in some cases four, of the most likely flu strains to produce the flu vaccine (influenza vaccination).

NS Vaccine efficacy The effectiveness of infection prevention varies from year to year, ranging from 19% in the 2014-2015 season to 60% in 2010-2011. Last year, influenza vaccination was 39% effective in preventing infections.

And about the last flu season Half of adults and children in the United States According to the CDC, I was vaccinated against the flu. Combined with the steps the United States took to check for the COVID-19 epidemic, Reported influenza cases In the United States, which looks like a typo, it’s incredibly low. During the 2020-2021 flu season, 2,038 flu cases were reported, compared to 38 million reported during the 2019-2020 season.

This year, due to the low flu season last year, vaccine makers have less need to make predictions and have created vaccines containing four potential flu strains. 4-valent influenza vaccine -To increase the chances of covering the dominant stock this year.

“We had enough data to make a well-informed guess,” he said. LJ Tan, Chief Strategy Officer Immunization Behavior Association, A non-profit organization working to improve vaccination coverage. “Now we are confident that it was done correctly.”

Like the COVID-19 vaccine, influenza vaccination is not 100% effective in preventing infection. But like coronavirus vaccination, the flu vaccine can slow down the severity of the virus if you catch it. NS CDC said Vaccination against the flu can reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor 40-60%..

And you don’t have to worry about the more serious side effects of the four-part flu vaccine. Whether the vaccine is made with three ingredients or four Side effects Chin Hong, a doctor at the University of California, San Francisco, said it should be the same.

Expect to make an appointment to get a flu shot

If you are accustomed to walking to your local pharmacy, hospital, or clinic and getting a flu shot at your convenience, you may need to make an appointment instead this year.

Signing in to your local pharmacy will instruct your customers to book both flu and COVID shots and Walgreens. Chief Medical Officer, Kevin Bang, COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations are recommended to be scheduled online.

“We are working as hard as we can to make it easier for people to schedule and seamlessly get vaccinated,” Van said, adding that you can also call. Walgreens toll-free number to promise.

It is safe to have COVID and flu shots at the same time

COVID pandemic continues to cause Infection, hospitalization, death, Hospitals in the most damaged areas again Limitation of ability to treat patients.. However, influenza vaccination should be as easy to obtain as COVID-19 vaccination.

In fact, the CDC says It is safe to get a flu shot and a COVID vaccination in the same place.. (Vaccine maker Moderna COVID-19 / influenza vaccine combinationHowever, that combo is not available this year. )

More on the vaccine this fall: Pfizer COVID-19 Booster And that Modern vaccine booster..And this is the latest Johnson & Johnson Booster..

The information contained in this article is for educational and informative purposes only and is not intended to provide health or medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider if you have any questions about your medical condition or health goals.