NFID: Half of US adults vulnerable to serious illness due to low flu vaccine coverage – Clinical Daily News

Flu season is about to escalate. Experts are concerned that half of all adults in the United States will be vulnerable to influenza and its complications due to the low number of adults planning to be vaccinated.

new Investigation The National Infectious Diseases Foundation found that only 49% of 1,000 U.S. adults plan to get the flu vaccine during the 2022-2023 flu season. The message at Tuesday’s press conference was simple. Everyone 6 months and older should get their flu shot now.

3 new products this year High-dose and adjuvant influenza vaccines Designed to provoke a stronger immune response Priority recommended For older adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization.

“Almost half of adults received the flu vaccine last flu season. Adults 65 and older lead the flu vaccination coverage,” said Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, director of the CDC. , MPH said, adding that an NFID survey found that 65 percent of older people were vaccinated. I am planning to get the flu vaccine this year.

Last season, an estimated 9 million people got the flu, 4 million sought medical care, 100,000 were hospitalized, and 5,000 died from the flu or flu complications.

“Based on what we’ve seen in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, the flu could hit us hard this year,” said NFID medical director William Schaffner, MD. As a community, we have more preventive actions in our toolbox than before the COVID-19 pandemic: we wear masks and are used to staying home when sick.”

Vaccination prevents complications

Even when flu shots don’t completely protect against infection, NFID President Patsy A. Stinchfield (RN, MS, CPNP) says it can reduce the duration and severity of illness and prevent serious complications such as heart attacks and strokes. said it can be prevented.

Dr. Schaffner says one of the most underrated side effects of influenza infection is its ability to trigger an inflammatory response in the body that lasts for weeks. People with underlying heart disease may be at an increased risk of heart attack or stroke because it affects the small blood vessels that lead to the heart and brain.

“The flu isn’t just a bad cold,” Stinchfield said. “Influenza can cause mild to severe symptoms, life-threatening complications, including hospitalization and death.”

COVID-19 continues to affect behavior

According to NFID research, the impact of the pandemic continues. A majority of US adults (58%) reported expecting to wear a mask at least occasionally during flu season.

However, for most U.S. adults, personal experience with COVID-19 did not change their likelihood of getting the flu vaccine. He said he is more likely to be vaccinated. And only 32% of adults said they were very or very confident about the safety of getting the flu and her COVID-19 combination vaccine.

“These survey data are alarming,” said Stinchfield. “The latest COVID-19 booster is safely and conveniently available at the same time as the flu vaccine.”

Wallenski said a CDC study of more than 450,000 people conducted during the pandemic showed that it’s safe to get the combined flu/COVID-19 vaccine. People who received both vaccines at the same time were slightly more likely to experience side effects such as injection site pain, fatigue, and headaches in the days following vaccination.

Don’t forget the pneumococcal vaccine

In addition to influenza, the NFID survey also examined attitudes and behaviors toward pneumococcal disease. Twenty-nine percent of those aged 65 years and older and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at high risk of illness reported being offered pneumococcal vaccination.

The NFID survey found gaps in awareness and understanding of pneumococcal disease and vaccination among the same groups. Findings showed that 45% of people at high risk of disease were not familiar with pneumococcal infection and vaccination, and 29% of those at high risk reported being advised to get vaccinated. 74% said they had been vaccinated. Get vaccinated.

This article originally appeared on McKnights Senior Living