(WWJ) With flu season fast approaching, it's time to get vaccinated to avoid what's being called a "twindemic."
The flu virus and the coronavirus will both be circulating around the U.S. this fall, health officials say, which is cause for concern.
"We don't want people to get ill with the flu an to overwhelm our hospital systems," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. "We already know that in a normal flu season our hospitals see a lot of patients with the flu, and if we have both of them circulating it could be really devastating."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six month of age and older get a flu shot.
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And Khaldun said it's not a good idea to put it off.
"Flu shots are actually available now," Khaldun told WWJ Health Reporter Dr. Deanna Lites. "We are recommending that everyone be vaccinated before October, which is when we expect the flu season to really start to take off."
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies rot develop in your body, she explained, and provid protection from the flu virus.
She stresses that the flu vaccine is safe, and more effective than some people may think.
"The flu vaccine can prevent up to 60% of people from getting the flu," Khaldun said. "And even if you still get the flu, if you got the vaccine the likelihood of your symptoms being as severe, as in you needing to stay in the hospital, goes down significantly."
"Unfortunately we do not have a high vaccination rate for the flu vaccine here in Michigan," said Khaldun, and there's no vaccine just yet to protect against COVID-19. According to a survey commissioned by CVS Health, the impact of COVID-19 is significantly influencing U.S. residents' likelihood to get a flu shot this season. Results have shown that consumers’ intention to get vaccinated has been increasing month over month, with 66% of those surveyed in July saying they definitely or likely will get a flu shot this season, compared to 34% of those surveyed in January 2020.
In addition, 54% of consumers surveyed indicated that they plan to get their immunization earlier than last year. Flu shots are now available at the thousands of CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations, inside CVS and Target stores across the country. Some are open seven days a week with expanded evening and weekend hours, with no appointment needed. “Getting your flu shot is a great way to be proactive about your health and the health of your community this year,” said Angela Patterson, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer for MinuteClinic and Vice President, of CVS Health. “It protects both the individual and those around them who may be more vulnerable to serious complications from the flu, such as infants and young children, older adults, and people with certain chronic health conditions.” Find a CVS location offering flu shots HERE. You can also contact your doctor or local health department to ask about flu vaccine availability, or try the vaccine finder at this link.