Why you need to get a flu shot again this year

“It’s really important to reduce the risk of getting the flu, which is what the flu vaccine does.” Riana Wen says, MD, Ph.D. in Emergency Medicine and Professor of Public Health Policy at George Washington University. “This is especially important this year, when we can face the confluence of influenza and COVID-19 very often.”

She states that flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines do not protect only those who receive them.

“Vaccination against both influenza and COVID protects us from both and reduces the chances of these viruses spreading to others,” said the newly published book Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Wen, author of Fight for Public Health, said.

Gronval’s teeth, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the John’s Hopkins Health Security Center, agrees that it is important to be vaccinated against the flu this year, which could lead to other life-threatening illnesses such as: I point out that there is. pneumonia,kill Tens of thousands American every year.

Gronval, an immunology and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said: “Speaking of people who were actually hospitalized when they were just 30 years old with the flu and pneumonia, they can lead to additional unpleasant illnesses.”

All three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States are highly effective. 86% to 95% -Use boosters recently recommended by federal authorities to maintain these levels of effectiveness.

“NS [flu] Shots are not as effective as the COVID vaccine. This is because we need to collate with circulating strains of influenza each year, and sometimes the collation doesn’t work, ”Gronvall explains. “You can be hit by a virus that the vaccine is not designed to protect.”

There are several factors that determine whether a flu vaccine is good or bad.

The first is timing. It takes about 6 months for the vaccine manufacturer to vaccinate and ship the flu every year. New influenza strains may emerge during vaccine production. This means that annual injections cannot prevent it.

Second, the FDA requires the influenza vaccine virus to grow in chicken. egg Or cell. However, some strains do not grow well in eggs, making the development of effective vaccines a challenge.

NS Second study found More powerful results show that vaccinated adults hospitalized for influenza are 59% less likely to be admitted to the ICU than unvaccinated adults.

In addition, studies have shown that vaccinations include children, pregnant women, people with heart disease, and lung conditions ( Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Diabetes, and other chronic health problems.

Another factor to consider is the surroundings, including those who are vulnerable to serious flu illnesses, such as babies and toddlers, the elderly, and people with certain chronic health conditions by being vaccinated. Is to protect people.

Influenza vs. COVID-19 Vaccine: Risks and Benefits

Despite these facts, only about half of Americans are vaccinated against the flu each year.

One reason: fear of side effects. It is true that influenza vaccines cause more negative side effects and allergic reactions than COVID-19 shots, but they are very rare.

Influenza vaccines may also be involved, according to a CDC study Giran-Bale syndrome in 1 or 2 cases per million vaccinated people. However, this rate is much lower than the risk of serious complications from influenza and can be prevented with the flu vaccine.

In contrast, Clinical trials Continuing research on the COVID-19 vaccine has shown that potential negative side effects are extremely rare. Pfizer-BioNTech and Modern RNA vaccines “appear” to cause a treatable allergic reaction with anaphylaxis, epinephrine, and may be associated with mild cardiac inflammation in young adults. Some rare cases.. As a result, the CDC requires that everyone be monitored at the vaccination site for 15 minutes after injection and for 30 minutes for anyone with a history of severe allergies. The FDA has put a warning label on the vaccine for possible heart inflammation.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is associated with a small number of rare cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and treatable blood coagulation disorders.

However, health experts say these side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are extremely rare, and the risks do not outweigh the benefits, especially given the fact that more than 7.5 billion injections have been made worldwide. I am.428 million times in the US alone (% of 59 population)-according to Johns Hopkins University.

Regarding the viewpoint, More than 5 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19, with more than 754,000 deaths in the United States.

What can you expect this year?

Looking to the future, CDC There are some differences Influenza season from 2021 to 2022.

For one thing, all influenza vaccines are designed to protect against four viruses (two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains).

Health professionals say this year’s flu season will be tougher than last year, more people will travel, relax COVID-19 precautions, spend less time evacuating at home, and stay away from others. I expect to be able to keep it.

In 2019-2020, the United States experienced one of the following: The mildest flu season in history As a result of all Hand wash, Avoid crowds, And wearing a mask brought by COVID-19.

about 700 Americans According to the CDC, 22,000 people died from the flu the previous year and 34,000 two seasons ago.

Fortunately, the same precautions that help prevent COVID-19 can also help control the spread of the flu. Therefore, if Americans continue these practices, this year’s flu season could be milder than usual.

Bad News: Last year’s mild flu season has caused vaccine researchers to use less data than usual to create this year’s flu vaccine. It may increase the likelihood of a poorer vaccine match.

Influenza could be even more prevalent this season, as fewer Americans are taking COVID-19 precautions and more are returning to pre-pandemic activities.

CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD says it’s because of the unpredictability of the upcoming flu season Everyone 6 You must be vaccinated for at least a few months after birth.

“If you’re not sure about getting the flu vaccine, take the time to make the right choices for your health and get the information you need to get the flu vaccine,” she said recently. Inoculation kickoff “said at a virtual press conference. Sponsored by the CDC and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NFID).

“The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. The risk of both influenza and COVID-19 circulation can put additional strain on hospitals and front-line healthcare professionals.”