The following is sponsored content provided by Lexington Medical Center
By Fanwei Meng, MD, of Lexington Internists, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice
We know it’s important to get an annual flu shot. That’s because different strains of the flu appear each year. Scientists anticipate what the most common strains will be and generate a flu vaccine accordingly. But in the time of COVID-19, a flu shot becomes considerably more important. The flu vaccine will not only help to keep you and your family healthy, but it will benefit society and the health care system.
The flu diminishes your immune system, making you more susceptible for other diseases such as COVID-19 or pneumonia. Ultimately, those patients can experience respiratory distress and failure, requiring ventilators to breathe.
Not getting a flu shot this year raises concerns about the possibility of a “twindemic” - pandemics of the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. A large number of flu cases during what’s already been a busy year because of COVID-19 could overwhelm hospitals, clinicians and the supply of equipment, even to the brink of collapse.
While there’s no vaccine yet for COVID-19, the flu vaccine will at least lower your chances of contracting one serious illness. Keep in mind that it’s possible to get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Also, having one may put you at higher risk for another. And the flu shot does not prevent you from getting COVID-19.
There are a lot of similarities between the flu and COVID-19. Both are respiratory illnesses with a similar means of transmission and symptoms. So far, the one noted difference is that patients with COVID-19 often lose sense of taste and smell.
Doctors recommend that everyone over the age of six months has have a flu shot. It’s especially important for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease to be vaccinated.
Get your flu vaccine early. It can take up to two weeks to build immunity. Like COVID-19, washing hands, social distancing and wearing a mask can also decrease the risk of flu spread.
We’ve never experienced flu season with COVID-19 before. It’s important that we take the precautions we can to protect ourselves and the people around us. A flu shot is a solid first step.
