COVID and Influenza: Can I get both at the same time?

After the flu season from 2020 to 2021 Unprecedented decline Each year, cases of influenza recovered from 2021 to 22 and raised concerns about COVID-19 and the “cold” of influenza.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report In the week leading up to January 8, 1,804 people were hospitalized for influenza. Infected Throughout the flu season from 2020 to 2021.

One of the differences this year is that current influenza vaccines appear to be less compatible with the predominant strains of influenza. “From our lab-based research, it looks like a big mismatch,” said Scott Hensley, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. CNN..

Ineffective flu vaccines, combined with blockades and removal of mask obligations, may bring 2021-202 back to the more typical flu season. According to the CDCMillions of Americans get the flu and tens of thousands die of the flu.

What’s worse than getting the flu? Co-infection of both influenza and COVID-19. Medical professionals around the world have begun reporting cases of patients infected with COVID-19 and influenza at the same time. This is a phenomenon called “flurona” that can pose an additional risk to patients with underlying health problems.

rear Israel reported The first case of Flurona on January 2 was reported on January 5 in an unvaccinated teenager in California. CBS Los Angeles..Since then, additional cases have emerged Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina..

“For healthy people in general, this combination causes illness that leaves them at home and sleeps for a while,” said Dr. Nancy Jin, vice president and chief quality officer of Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. It can make you feel pretty sick. ” Orange County Register.. “For people with existing high-risk conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease, the consequences can be hospitalization in the ICU and potentially death.”

That’s why we get both flu shots and COVID vaccines (and that’s why COVID booster) Is important. Simultaneous infection of both respiratory illnesses can be “catastrophic to the immune system,” said Dr. Adrian Burrows, a professor of home medicine at the University of Central Florida. Told to CNN..

Read everything you need to know about this year’s flu and COVID-19.Learn more about Full shot side effects You may experience, and why epidemiologists suggest taking both COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccination..

How effective is this year’s flu vaccine?

Vaccine makers monitor the current flu strains and predict which strains are most likely to dominate during the next flu season. They use that data to produce influenza vaccines each year, using the most likely three or even four strains.

The Efficacy of influenza vaccine It fluctuates greatly from year to year. It varies from 19% effectiveness in the 2014-2015 season to 60% effectiveness in 2010-2011.

last year, Half of adults and children in the United States According to the CDC, the vaccine was 39% effective in preventing infection when vaccinated against the flu. With effective vaccines and COVID-19 mitigation measures Reported influenza cases The 2020-2021 season was so low that it almost looks like a typo. There were only 2,038 cases of influenza, but 38 cases. One million Cases reported in the 2019-2020 season.

Last year’s flu season was incredibly mild, so vaccine makers used less information to develop this year’s vaccine. They created a vaccine containing four possible variants. 4-valent influenza vaccine, To increase the likelihood of nailing the dominant stock this year.

“There was enough data to make an informed guess.” LJ Tan, Chief Strategy Officer Immunization Behavior AssociationSaid in October. At the time, Mr Tan said the experts were confident that “we understood it correctly.”

However, recent studies suggest that they are off the mark because a variant of influenza A H3N2 called 2a2 has become the predominant strain.

According to the CDC, the majority of influenza strains detected so far this season are influenza A type 2a2, which occurs primarily in children aged 5 to 24 years and young adults. November, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Report a sharp increase There were 745 confirmed cases of the mutant H3N2 strain at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, between October 6 and November 19.

Why do you need to worry about flu shots if the match is bad?

Although the vaccine appears to be less compatible with this year’s flu, medical professionals still strongly recommend the flu vaccine for people over 6 months of age. Many studies have shown that even incompatible vaccines can significantly reduce the severity of influenza.by CDC, Vaccination against the flu can reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor 40-60%..

“Studies have shown that seasonal influenza vaccines consistently prevent hospitalization and death, even in years of high antigen mismatch,” the authors wrote in a preprint report.

A study of pediatric influenza cases published on January 13 Clinical infections Even “mismatch” vaccines have demonstrated significant benefits, reducing the risk of life-threatening illnesses by nearly 75%.

When should I get a flu shot?

The simple answer is: In the Northern Hemisphere, the flu season usually lasts from October to May. However, the flu virus is not very interested in the calendar and is interested in spreading it as widely as possible. Experts warn that the timing of this year may be unpredictable given last year’s mild flu season and behavioral changes surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Do not try to match the timing of your flu shot with the timing of your flu shot. For the preparation, the expert, Get your shot as soon as possible..

“Influenza is expected during normal times,” he said. Dr. Peter Chin Hong, Professor of Infectious Disease Health at the University of California, San Francisco. “But this year is atypical or can be dragged longer, so that’s something people need to prepare.”

A similar shift in the timing of seasonal viral infections occurred this summer. America When Japan According to Chin Hong, schoolchildren’s respiratory syncytial virus infection has skyrocketed. This is because in the winter, before the usual outbreak of RSV infection, students were educated in distance and were exposed to the virus and their immunity was not strengthened. Instead, it allowed the virus to spread in the summer.

Do I need to book a flu shot?

If you’re used to walking to your local pharmacy, hospital, or clinic to get a flu shot, you’ll need to make an appointment this year as your provider struggles to treat and maintain your COVID patients. I have. Move away from the protocol to meet the demand for COVID testing and vaccination.

Walgreens ” Kevin Bang, Chief Medical Officer, 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 be vaccinated seamlessly,” Van said, adding that you can also call. Walgreens toll-free number Make a reservation.

Is it safe to be vaccinated against COVID and the flu at the same time?

CDC confirmed It is safe to have influenza vaccination and COVID vaccination in the same place.. (Vaccine maker Moderna is actually working on it COVID-19 / influenza vaccine combinationHowever, that combo will not be available for some time. )

And you don’t have to worry about the more serious side effects of the four-part flu vaccine.Typical whether the shot uses 3 or 4 ingredients Side effects Chin Hong, a doctor at the University of California, San Francisco, said it should be the same. They include redness and swelling at the injection site, myalgia, mild fever, headache, and nausea, all of which should go away after a few days.

Want more?We uncovered Nine myths about influenza vaccination I will explain how to tell if you have it Flu, COVID or common cold..

The information contained in this article is for educational and informative purposes only and is not intended for 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.