Today’s vaccine tired americans This fall, you’ll receive an important message from your doctor (if you haven’t heard it yet).
Here is the message: Don’t skip your flu shot this year. Elderly people should seek a special stronger kind.
A recovery may be poised after the COVID-19 pandemic brought flu to historically low levels, reports the Associated Press.
Main clue: nasty flu season Just finished in Australia.
Should I get a flu shot this year? Doctors reveal their decisions
There’s no way to predict whether the US will be hit hard, but “Last year we went into the flu season without knowing if the flu was going around. We know the flu is back this year.” ‘, said Richard Webby, an influenza expert at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, told The Associated Press.
Annual flu vaccinations are recommended to start at 6 months of age.
Doctors and other medical experts advise people not to skip flu shots this year.
(iStock)
Influenza is most dangerous to people over the age of 65, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health problems, including heart and lung disease.
“It’s a perfectly good time [people] Get an injection now,” Aaron Gratt, M.D., director of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau in New York, told Fox News Digital last week.
He is also a hospital epidemiologist.
Here’s what other health and medical experts say you need to know this flu season.
Special protection for those over 65
As people get older, their immune systems respond less strongly to standard flu vaccinations.
These are the best immune-boosting foods, according to nutrition experts
This year, people over the age of 65 are being asked to get a special type of insurance to get extra protection.
According to the CDC, if your area exceeds doses intended for the elderly, it’s better to get a standard flu shot than skip the vaccine altogether.
You have three options. Fluzone High-Dose and Flublok each contain high doses of the main anti-flu ingredients.
Another option is Fluad Adjuvanted, which comes in regular doses but contains special ingredients that help boost people’s immune response, reports the AP.
Older people can and should ask their doctor what kind of flu shot they have.
All flu vaccines in the United States (including the type for people under 65) are “quadrivalent”. In other words, it protects against 4 different influenza strains.
(iStock)
However, most flu shots are given at pharmacies. Also, some drugstore websites, such as CVS, will automatically direct you to locations that offer vaccinations for seniors if your date of birth indicates that you are eligible.
Webby of Memphis recommends making sure older relatives and friends know about immunizations for older people in case they weren’t told when they asked for them. I got
As The Associated Press reported, “They should at least ask, ‘Do you have a better shot for me? ‘” Webby said. I mean,” he said.
Two-thirds of US adults do not plan to get a COVID booster
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if a location exceeds doses intended for the elderly, it’s better to get a standard flu shot than skip the vaccination altogether. That’s it.
All U.S. flu vaccines, including those designed for people under 65, are “quadrivalent,” meaning they protect against four different strains of influenza, the AP reports.
Young people also have options, including shots for those with egg allergies and a nasal spray version called FluMist.
Many people are abandoning masking
Dr Andrew Pekoz of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says Australia has just experienced its worst flu season in five years and what will happen in the Southern Hemisphere winter foreshadows what countries in the Northern Hemisphere can expect. He said there were many things.
Many are also abandoning their previous masking and distancing precautions. COVID-19 Pandemic It also helped prevent the spread of other respiratory worms, such as the flu.
Children’s mask use should not be compulsory, researchers argue
“This poses a particular risk to young children who may have had little exposure to the flu virus prior to this season,” added Pekosh.
Health experts have already seen an unusual early spike in other respiratory infections, such as RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), in children’s hospitals.
(iStock)
“This year is going to be a true flu season like we saw before the pandemic,” said Dr. Jason Newland, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Washington in St. Louis, according to the Associated Press.
Children’s hospitals are seeing an unusually early surge in other respiratory infections, such as RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), and there are fears that, as in Australia, influenza will also hit earlier than usual.
Severe common cold cases on the rise among young children may be linked to COVID-19 lockdowns
CDC recommends getting the flu vaccine by the end of October.
However, the flu vaccination can be given at any time during the flu season. It takes about two weeks for the protection to set in.
The US expects 173-183 million doses this year.
Yes, you can get your flu shot and the latest COVID-19 booster at the same time.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Dr. Fred Davis is Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine. Northwell Health in Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital that it sees a large number of flu cases in emergency departments each year.
Davis also recommends getting the flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October, before flu cases start to rise.
Davis also noted that “individuals over 6 months [those] People who have never had a severe allergic reaction before should get a flu shot every year. ”
The Associated Press and Amy McGorry contributed reporting for this article.
