The flu season begins during COVID: Q & A with Dr. Jennifer Vines

Portland, Oregon (KOIN) — As the flu season begins as the coronavirus pandemic continues, Dr. Jennifer Weins, director of health at Multnomah County, answers six questions about flu, the flu vaccine, and what you need to do. I did.

Also on Tuesday, Kaiser Permanente Northwest announced that several new drive-through clinics will open on Saturday. Drive-through and walk-up flu vaccination clinics will begin on October 3 and continue until October 31, according to health care giants. Anyone planning a vaccination must bring a photo ID and membership ID. According to Kaiser, vaccination requires a mask and it is advisable to wear a short-sleeved shirt for easy access to the upper arm.

See the complete list of locations here

Participating patients can also be tested for COVID-19 at the same time.

6 Questions for Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines

1. Do I need to get the flu vaccine?
   The simple answer is “yes”. You should still definitely be vaccinated against the flu. The reason is that staying away from others, wearing a mask and washing your hands is a good way to prevent the spread of large numbers of bacteria, including the flu, but we have all the tools in the toolkit this fall. I want to use. Winter — Considered the respiratory season. The best way to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine. This is recommended for everyone over 6 months.
2. Should I get a flu shot even if I still think I’m socially distant?
   Is the correct answer. The goal is to curb the spread of the respiratory virus in the community this winter. Everyone is waiting to hear about the COVID vaccine. Here, the flu vaccine has been tried, is true, and it’s good to get it every year, but especially this year, we’re facing very uncertainties about how fast the flu vaccine will work. winter.
3. Are there concerns that hospitals can be overwhelmed by flu and COVID patients?
   I think the harsh flu season before that could have actually put pressure on the capabilities of our healthcare system. Since then, I think COVID has done a lot of work in preparation for expanding its capacity and expanding quickly. But the bottom line is that we are between COVID and the flu in terms of people being healthy, not wanting to be in the hospital, protecting vulnerable people, and who is at risk. There is a lot of duplication in. … We are serious when everyone says we need to get it for more than 6 months… especially toddlers, the elderly, and people with underlying illnesses.
4. Is there any difference about this year’s flu vaccine because of COVID?
   No, as far as I know, the world and national public health authorities believe that this year’s epidemic strains are the best match for what we think. It is based on a lot of information on how the flu season progresses in the Southern Hemisphere and when prescribing flu vaccines.
5. What is the difference between influenza and COVID? What are the symptoms people should be aware of?
   The symptoms are very similar. The flu is fever, has a sore throat and cough, and is very similar to COVID. Both have a kind of malaise, pain-like symptoms, and both are very mild to completely asymptomatic and are really serious illnesses that bring people to the hospital.
6. Can I get both influenza and COVID at the same time?
   There are documented cases of people who have both at the same time. It was like the beginning of our COVID, which happened towards the end of a big wave in China and elsewhere. So I don’t think we have really good data to say exactly what can happen, but certainly you wouldn’t want to fight two infections at the same time and we Has a vaccine to prevent one and we have a face cover and body distance to protect from the other.

Dr. Vines can call 211 or call 211 for information on how to get the vaccine. Vaccine finder.org And the best time to get it is really until the end of October.

Additional flu information

According to Kaiser, influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of hospitalization for adults by 40%. In addition, vaccination can reduce the risk of influenza by 40% to 60% if the vaccine is well-matched to the virus, according to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The flu symptoms are usually more severe than the cold symptoms and tend to develop suddenly. Influenza-related illnesses range from mild to severe and may require hospitalization. The flu symptoms to watch out for are: Fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose or stuffy nose, muscle and body aches, headaches, malaise. Less common symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea.

“Influenza is a deadly illness that causes hospitalization, but simple measures such as getting a flu shot can help prevent hospital bed shortages and protect people from the deadly illness,” Kaiser said on Tuesday. Said in the announcement. “We are trying to create” community immunity. ” If enough people are vaccinated, it helps. “

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