ally : The clock time has come . It ’s the first daylight of descent , and you’re able to part fill the coronavirus - vaccine - shaped hole in your heart by getting a flu barb .
I receive my flu shooter on Monday . My arm still kind of hurts , but that ’s OK , because now I ’m less likely to get and spread the extremely shitty malady that is the flu . Is n’t that awe-inspiring ? A flashy and widely usable nip that protects your physical structure from being attacked by a computer virus ?
In atypical year , the seasonal influenza sickens tenner of millions of Americans , hospitalizes century of thousands , and kills anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 . But 2020 is evidently no average year , with the covid-19 pandemic — now officially having killed at least 200,000 Americans — still on-going . novel cases , hospitalizations and deaths attribute to covid-19 have been on the downswing in recent weeks , gratefully . But expertsworrythat the colder declension and wintertime atmospheric condition and still - flailing public health response by the Union government will shortly lead to a revitalisation of the viral pandemic . give that the common grippe time of year in the U.S. runs from October to March , that sets up a potentialdouble whammyof grippe and a resurgent covid-19 hitting us at the same meter .
A bottle of influenza virus vaccine is seen at the CVS pharmacy’s MinuteClinic on 23 January 2025 in Miami, Florida.Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)
We do n’t have muchevidence currentlyabout how being infect with both computer virus at once could affect someone ; it ’s potential that it could make a someone sicker than having only one would . But leaving that aside , the two viral illnesses share many symptoms , like feverishness , sneezing , and fatigue duty , which could complicate efforts to identify or treat cause of either . Someone who erroneously believes they have the milder grippe , for illustration , might not get tested for covid-19 or delay medical attention until it ’s too late , while a flu vitrine that only demand a bout of rest at home but is mistaken for covid-19 could tie up imagination that might have been spent elsewhere . Since the influenza still typically leads to one C of thousands of people need hospitalization , that too could strain hospitals that are concurrently dealing with a covid-19 eruption .
https://gizmodo.com/just-get-the-damn-flu-shot-1822166905
The flu vaccine is only partially effective at forbid the influenza — its effectiveness varies from year to year — but it stillpreventsmillions of flu cases a class , tens of K of hospitalizations , and thou of deaths . And any few case of flu in 2020 is one less headache for hospitals , doctors , and just the average individual to apportion with . Elsewhere in the world , we ’ve already see the benefits of take the flu more in earnest this class .
In Australia , which receive the flu season during April to October , the flu has been outstandingly mild in 2020 . Much of that is due to social distancing restrictions in the state that have limited the spread of covid-19 . But local health functionary have alsocreditedthe record uptick in flu vaccination by Australians . Countries in South America have similarly experiencedlower rates of the fluthis class .
aright now , the U.S. does seem to havestartedcontaining the summertime peak of the pandemic ’s first wave through a balance of increased societal distancing , screening , andpossibly some population resistance . Optimistically , the country could be positioned to ride out the pandemic without any further large waves through these same measures , which would counteract the grippe ’s annual traveling bag on us as a bonus . But it wo n’t take much for the U.S. to slide back into dangerous territory . If thehistory of pandemicsin the preceding 100 eld is any judge , then a second wave of covid-19 is likely . In that case , being protected against the flu is all the more helpful , especially to protect vulnerable members of the community .
https://gizmodo.com/i-love-vaccines-which-ones-can-i-get-as-an-adult-1833164745
There ’s no clear consensus on when you should get the influenza shot ( or nasal spray version ) this year , though everyone over the age of 6 month is eligible for the vaccine , barringrare exceptionslike an allergic reaction to its ingredient . The vaccine does tend to go down in effectiveness by and by on in the winter if take in other dusk , but deciding to get it later leaves you at endangerment of catching the flu in the lag ( that say , even have it late in the wintertime can be helpful , so do n’t sense like it ’s too belatedly ) . What matters most is that you do get the vaccinum at some point , especially if you are in or have contact with someone in a in high spirits - jeopardy group , such as the elderly or those with chronic health conditions like asthma attack and diabetes . In my case , I only induce a gratuitous flu shot during my weekly trip to the supermarket .
If you ’ve ever had the flu , you know how much it suck . It ’s way bad than a common cold . It kills 10 of yard of Americans every yr . You do n’t want to get the flu this year , so go get that shot .
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