Vaccination of indifferent Americans against influenza

State health officials are desperately stepping up their flu vaccination efforts, hoping to prevent the medical system, already taxed by Covid-19, from being pushed into the rapidly approaching flu season. I’m out.

In Massachusetts, all children must be vaccinated against the flu in order to attend school or daycare. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was vaccinated live and stressed that vaccination could help save valuable hospital resources. Local and state health departments have purchased record amounts of vaccines, Delivering shots in senior homes and homeless shelters, they plan to provide vaccinations at the Covid-19 test site.

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“I don’t think the US healthcare system can support the surge in Covid and the hard flu season,” said Arkansas Secretary of Health Jose Romero. “I think it will disrupt the medical system.”

The state faces the new urgency of reopening some of the country’s schools, increasing the risk of spreading both viruses. To highlight the unique and deadly threat this year’s flu season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Management purchased more than 20 times the typical amount of flu vaccine and, for the first time, funded a state vaccination messaging campaign. Supporting the offer.

But it’s largely left to state health authorities-still consumed in coronavirus pandemics-to help convince criminally endangered citizens to overcome indifference to influenza vaccination. To organize limited resources. Less than 50% of adults choose to be vaccinated during typical seasons. This rate wants CDC director Robert Redfield to rise to 65% during this once-in-a-lifetime health crisis.

“It was definitely a struggle,” said Crystal Rambaud, a vaccine-preventable disease manager at the Health Department of Pima County, Arizona. He named competing priorities for managing influenza and coronaviruses.

“For people like me, vaccination was my full-time job, and then Covid happened, which was my full-time job,” she said. “Now I’m shifting back and now I’m in a situation where I’m trying to manage both.”

The state is leveraging federal resources in its vaccination campaign and is building a new partnership for widespread distribution of influenza vaccines over the next few weeks. According to the CDC, September and October are the best months for vaccination.

For the first time, Michigan buys the flu vaccine for the poor, publishes a television ad that encourages people to get the flu shot, and spends $3 million on federal funding for a campaign that includes social media efforts. The Vermont Health Department works with long-term care facilities and prisons to ensure that people at high risk for Covid-19 are vaccinated against the flu. After subduing the nation’s most devastating coronavirus outbreak, New York City embarked on a $4.6 million vaccination media campaign, focusing on vaccination of high-risk people at 63,000 times (6 times more than usual). I bought the above).

CDC Estimate Last year there were 410,000 to 740,000 influenza-related hospitalizations and 62,000 deaths. Public health officials fear the crowded emergency room will be revived and the lack of personal protective equipment hampering many health care systems this spring will come again during this bad flu season.

To complicate matters, both viruses can be infected and they can spread at the same time. Because the symptoms are similar, you only need to figure out who might be the disorder.

In some states (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana) recovering from a severe coronavirus outbreak this summer, especially in some of the countries with the lowest influenza vaccination rates in the country, The risk is particularly high.

Especially, the community of colors strongly struck by coronavirus, Lower vaccination rate.. According to the CDC, 49% of white adults received the flu vaccine last year, but only 39% of blacks and 37% of Hispanic adults were vaccinated. Medical assistance in Louisiana includes efforts focused on ethnic minorities, such as working with churches and barbers to promote influenza vaccination, said the Louisiana Department of Health’s emergency response medical care. Frank Welch, who is responsible, said.

Young adults, who emerged as the main spreaders of Covid-19 this summer and resumed school, were least likely to be vaccinated against influenza last year, at any age. Investigation From the American Medical Association.

But with some signs of encouragement, the flu season this year may be mild. New Zealand with vaccination coverage similar to the US Saw record demand This year is for influenza vaccine. The level of infection is lower, along with other Southern Hemisphere countries that have experienced the flu season. Experts predict that wearing a mask and social distances will likely help prevent influenza this year, and you may be vaccinated this fall because of the risk of coronavirus infection. ..

“The fear of Covid is the driving force behind vaccination against the flu,” said Barry Bloom, an infectious disease expert and public health professor at Harvard University.

Christine Finley, director of immunization at the Vermont Health Department, said her office was flooded with phone calls from the public and health care providers regarding influenza vaccinations. Officials are still finalizing plans for vaccine distribution, but the level of interest is a promising sign, she said.

“I don’t think many questions have been asked about the flu vaccine this year,” Finley said. “We are dancing as fast as possible.”

Others are not optimistic and cite lack of a strong national campaign to get people vaccinated.

“I can’t predict what will happen, but I’m not optimistic that there will be a surge in influenza vaccination,” said Oscar Alain, head of program for the county and city health authorities. Said.

Millions of people lost their jobs and health insurance during the pandemic, and health officials said they were buying more influenza vaccines than ever. Home to Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, raised $8 million more vaccine than usual, using $7 million of stimulating funding from the CARES Act to raise awareness.

“We want to make sure that anyone who wants the flu vaccine can get it,” said Mercy Flanagan, director of public health in the county.

Manufacturers of influenza vaccines plan to administer about 200 million doses this year, a historic dose, up 13% from the average year. The CDC has provided the state with nearly $150 million for state public campaigns and rural mobile vaccine sites. The Trump administration, which aims to make vaccines more accessible, last week approved pharmacists to administer childhood vaccinations after people avoid doctors’ offices and vaccination rates decline.

This year’s CDC will also launch a digital campaign, which will include targeted outreach to older people, minorities, and people with underlying illnesses, a spokesperson said. Authorities will also resume regular press conferences, which were significantly reduced during the Coronavirus response.

The CDC typically purchases over 11 million low-income doses from the 500,000 provided to community health centers that serve these groups. But much of that supply doesn’t arrive until after the recommended vaccination period, at least until November — doctors say injections are still valid.

But like the coronavirus, some of these efforts are underpinned by President Donald Trump, who downplayed the severity of the flu and questioned whether influenza vaccination was necessary. This spring he too Dissent warning CDC director Redfield said the confluence of this year’s flu season and the coronavirus pandemic could be particularly dangerous.

Public health officials are concerned that message conflicts could undermine state and federal efforts.

“I think this will be a challenge,” said Richard Webby, an influenza virologist at St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the World Health Organization. “Do we normally vaccinate people who have not been vaccinated against influenza? I hope so, but that’s not practical.”