With flu season quickly encroaching, it is no wonder why people are becoming increasingly concerned with the mix of our annual affliction and the current Covid virus. It seems that this flu season will only add to the chaos surrounding the corona virus, as people will become sick for additional reasons and spread numerous diseases simultaneously. The anxiety regarding vaccines pertaining to Covid research has also made some question this year’s flu vaccine. The concern for a twindemic, or the overlap of Covid-19 with the influenza virus, is certainly validated. However, it is possible that we are unnecessarily adding to the preexisiting hysteria.
As Covid cases fill hospitals to the brim with sick patients, medical facilities fear their ability to cope with additional admissions due to the flu. According to an article by The New York Times, “concern about a twindemic is so great that officials around the world are pushing the flu shot even before it becomes available.” The same article also notes that the flu vaccine can buffer the effects of potentially acquired respiratory infections. Flu vaccines are especially important now because patients who contract influenza are more vulnerable to contracting Covid. The quadrivalent vaccine being administered this year is a vaccine designed to protect against four different kinds of flu virus, according to the CDC. They protect against the A (H1N1) virus, the A(H3N2) virus, and two types of B viruses. For many years before this, a vaccine that protected against three different strains was available, but a fourth was added to increase general protection. However, if the strains included do not match the circulating strains, then no protection can be offered for the virus we would be exposed to.
After analyzing data from the 2019-2020 flu season, the estimated effectiveness of the flu vaccine was said to be 45% according to the CDC. Although the number seems small, it is consistent with the 40-60% effectiveness of vaccines from previous seasons. Ultimately, flu vaccines are extremely important in establishing immunity against commonly encountered pathogens. By protecting ourselves from simple illnesses like the flu, we can prevent our bodies’ subjection to more severe diseases like Covid. In order to alleviate the impact of the increasing number of sick people, everyone who can should get vaccinated. In this way, we will protect ourselves and in time, everyone.
Covid Corner 