Are you prepared for flu season? Dr. Vanessa Walker explains what you should know

Are you prepared for flu season? Dr. Vanessa Walker explains what you should know

Updated: 9:27 AM PDT Aug 29, 2023

WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON TODAY’S NEWS CONFERENCE, BRANDY. WELL, YOU KNOW, FALL IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AND WITH IT, THE RISK OF CATCHING THE FLU. SO WE WANT YOU TO BE PREPARED IN THIS MORNING. WE WELCOME DOCTOR VANESSA WALKER. SHE IS THE CHIEF MEDICAL EXECUTIVE OF SUTTER ROSEVILLE MEDICAL CENTER. NEW JOB, NEW PROMOTION. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. YOU’RE VERY FAMILIAR TO US HERE AT KCRA. AND I’M SURE TO OUR VIEWERS, WE TALKED TO YOU A LOT, ESPECIALLY ABOUT RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AND OF COURSE, NOW WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE FLU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO WHAT ARE THE PREDICTIONS FOR THIS YEAR’S FLU SEASON? YOU KNOW, WE’RE THINKING THIS YEAR’S FLU SEASON ISN’T GOING TO BE TOO BAD. WHAT WE’RE SEEING IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE SEEING ABOUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT IN A NORMAL FLU SEASON? I THINK PREVIOUS YEARS, BECAUSE WE WERE MASKING WE SAW MUCH LOWER CASES LAST YEAR. WE SAW DEFINITELY AN UPTICK AS WE KIND OF CAME OUT OF OUR SHELL AND AND STARTED EXPERIENCING ALL THESE VIRUSES THAT WE HADN’T SEEN FOR A FEW YEARS. BUT NOW I THINK WE HAVE SOME HERD IMMUNITY. WE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPOSED TO ALL THESE VIRUSES. AND SO I’M HOPING THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST YOUR KIND OF NORMAL YEAR. YEAH, FINGERS CROSSED. YEAH. I WAS GOING TO SAY, WE CAN ONLY CROSS OUR FINGERS. OKAY. SO WE HAVE SOME DATA FROM THE CDC THAT WE WANT TO SHOW OUR VIEWERS. THE CDC ESTIMATES THERE WERE 54 MILLION CASES AND 58,000 DEATHS OF THE FLU LAST YEAR. SO THE QUESTION THAT I WONDER, WHY ARE THERE STILL PEOPLE DYING WHEN THERE IS A VACCINE THAT’S AVAILABLE TO TO DEAL WITH THE FLU? SO THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION THAT IS WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO DO IS GET VACCINATED. OKAY, VACCINATION IS THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT DEATH HOSPITALIZATION. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE REASON WHY PEOPLE ARE STILL DYING OF THE FLU IS BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE JUST AREN’T GOING OUT AND GETTING VACCINATED. YEAH. WHO IS MOST AT RISK OF GETTING THE FLU? HIGHEST RISK ARE GOING TO BE OUR ELDERLY POPULATION. PATIENTS WITH DIABETES, 80S, HEART DISEASE, OTHER LUNG DISEASES AND CHILDREN, YOUNGER CHILDREN ARE MUCH MORE AT RISK OF HAVING SEVERE ILLNESS FROM THE FLU THAN THEY ARE FROM COVID. I MEAN, WE WERE ALL SCARED ABOUT COVID. YEAH, REALLY. THE FLU HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING SCARY FOR KIDS. AND SO WE NEED TO GET THEM VACCINATED. AND SO HOW OLD DO KIDS HAVE TO BE BEFORE THEY CAN GET THE VACCINE? THEY HAVE TO BE SIX MONTHS OLD. SO THAT’S WHY IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MOMS WHEN YOU’RE PREGNANT TO GET VACCINATED, BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR BABY WHEN YOU KNOW, WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO VACCINATE THEM. AND SO FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT BE IN THAT HIGH RISK GROUP, HOW DO THEY PREVENT GETTING THE FLU? ROUTINE THINGS HAND WASHING. YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE’S SICK, TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE. IT’S REALLY HARD SOMETIMES TO DO THAT. BUT DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE. WASH LIKE I SAID, WASH YOUR HANDS. AND THEN IF YOU DO GET SICK, PLEASE MASK UP IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE, WHAT ABOUT THE VACCINE ITSELF? LIKE WE’VE HEARD BEFORE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT STRANDS OF THE FLU, RIGHT. SO DOES ONE VACCINE PREVENT OR HELP YOU TO NOT PERHAPS HAVE DEATH FROM JUST ONE STRAND OF IT? WHAT IF YOU GET A DIFFERENT STRAND THAT YOU DON’T HAVE A VACCINE FOR? YEAH, SO THERE’S SO, SO MANY DIFFERENT STRAINS OF THE FLU. OKAY. WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR IS WE LOOK TO THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE AND WE SEE WHAT FLU IS PREDOMINANT DOWN THERE. OKAY? AND THEN WE KNOW THAT FLU IS PROBABLY GOING TO COME UP TO US IN THE WINTER. SO THE PEOPLE THAT CREATE THESE VACCINES MAKE SURE THAT THEY PROTECT AGAINST THE MAIN STRAINS THAT ARE PRESENT THERE. THIS YEAR, IT’S LOOKING LIKE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THE VACCINES WE HAVE ARE GOING TO BE VERY PROTECTIVE AGAINST THE STRAINS THAT ARE PREDOMINANT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. OKAY. GOOD TO KNOW. DOCTOR W

Are you prepared for flu season? Dr. Vanessa Walker explains what you should know

Updated: 9:27 AM PDT Aug 29, 2023

Fall is right around the corner and with it is the risk of catching the flu.According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu activity is low across most of the country right now. The agency suggests September and October are good times to get a flu vaccine.Dr. Vanessa Walker, the chief medical executive of Sutter Roseville Medical Center, joined KCRA 3’s Brandi Cummings for an interview Tuesday morning. Walker explained that doctors are anticipating a normal flu season, but advise everyone 6 months old and older to get the flu vaccine.Click the link above to see the full interview.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Fall is right around the corner and with it is the risk of catching the flu.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu activity is low across most of the country right now.

The agency suggests September and October are good times to get a flu vaccine.

Dr. Vanessa Walker, the chief medical executive of Sutter Roseville Medical Center, joined KCRA 3’s Brandi Cummings for an interview Tuesday morning.

Walker explained that doctors are anticipating a normal flu season, but advise everyone 6 months old and older to get the flu vaccine.

Click the link above to see the full interview.