With the onset of flu season upon us (is last year’s flu season really over?) And with COVID continuing to circulate here in the U.S. and around the world, Baptist Health doctors urge patients to get vaccinated. soon. The flu vaccine is now available at all Baptist Health Urgent Care and Urgent Care Express locations, open seven days a week from 9am to 9pm
To commemorate National Flu Preparedness Day (September 21), the editors of Health spoke with Ladan Pourmasiha, DO, a Baptist Health family doctor and director of the urgent care centers Health System in Broward County and with Corey Frederick, PharmD, Clinical Infectious Disease Coordinator for Outpatient Care at Baptist Health. They have expressed their thoughts on the upcoming flu season and why getting the flu vaccine is a good idea, especially for people over 65 and other high-risk groups.
Health: Dr. Pourmasiha, when does flu season typically start here in South Florida?
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Dra. Pourmasiha: The flu season varies from year to year in terms of when it peaks, especially here in Florida where we don’t have as many dramatic seasonal changes in our climate. We have seen little activity in the past four or five weeks. The flu season in Florida typically runs from November to April, but typically peaks in January and February.
Health: It seems like last year’s flu season never really ended, why?
Dra. Pourmasiha: Last flu season lasted longer than expected, possibly due to the timing of last year’s COVID-Omicron outbreak and the decline in the number of people getting vaccinated against the flu. Additionally, due to social distancing and masking during the pandemic, influenza cases have been virtually non-existent for the past two years. This prevented us from gaining the natural immunity we normally expect, which is why this last flu season has lasted longer than usual. There have been outbreaks all summer, but it looks like it’s fading now, just in time for the next one.
Health: Dr Anthony Fauci says the experience of indicator countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, bodes well for an early start to our flu season and that it could be bad. What is your opinion?
Dra. Pourmasiha: I think you are right. We are now dealing with more flu viruses which are extremely infectious. So it is possible that there will be an overlapping virus during the next season. But, as Dr. Frederick will tell you, the flu vaccine now distributed in the United States has been shown to be effective against the dominant strain of flu affecting those countries. The most important thing we can do is make sure we are fully vaccinated against both COVID and the flu, to reduce the risk of complications if we get sick.
Health: Dr. Frederick, are there any risks or side effects for people who get vaccinated against the flu?
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Dr. Federico: There is a small chance that the flu shot is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, usually no more than one or two cases per million vaccinated people. This is much lower than the risk of serious complications from the flu, which is easily preventable with the flu shot. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that “some vaccines are not recommended in some situations and for people of a certain age or with certain health conditions, and some people should not receive vaccines against the disease at all. flu (although this is rare). ” The CDC adds that “the side effects of the flu shot are usually mild and go away on their own within a few days. Some side effects that can be caused by the flu shot are pain, redness and / or swelling at the injection site, headache (mild ), fever, nausea, body aches and fatigue.
Health: When do you advise people to get vaccinated against the flu?
Dr. Federico: For the flu shot, it’s best to get vaccinated before the flu starts spreading in the community, so we recommend that everyone get their vaccine by the end of October. However, adults, and especially seniors, should be careful not to get vaccinated too early, such as in July or August, because the protection it offers may diminish over time and may not be as effective as the flu season intensifies this year. .
Health: Who is most at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from the flu and why?
Dra. Pourmasiha: In general, regardless of the virus, the people most at risk are those who are: 65 or older; those who live in retirement homes; the immunocompromised; pregnant women; those with comorbidities such as diabetes or other chronic diseases; or those with children aged 5 years or younger (and especially aged 2 years or younger).
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Health: For a person aged 65 or over, what are the risks of not getting the flu shot?
Dra. Pourmasiha: The flu is more dangerous for the elderly for several reasons. One reason is that the immune system, which helps your body fight infections, weakens with age. For example, because your body is busy fighting the flu, you may have a secondary infection such as pneumonia or a sinus or ear infection. A second reason is that older adults are also more likely to have other health conditions, such as diabetes, which increase the risk of complications from the flu. Therefore, it is always in the best interest of our elderly population to receive the flu vaccine to reduce the risk of serious complications.
Health: Besides the elderly, is there anyone else who should get vaccinated against the flu?
Dr. Federico: This season, the CDC recommends “annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older with any age-appropriate influenza vaccine (IIV4, RIV4, or LAIV4) without expressing a preference for one vaccine over another.” Some populations are at increased risk of developing serious complications from the flu. In addition to the elderly, it is recommended that pregnant women and young children get the flu shot. According to the CDC, “vaccinating pregnant women helps protect them from flu illness and hospitalization and has also been shown to help protect the baby from flu infection for several months after birth, before the baby can be vaccinated.” . Additionally, the CDC points to a 2017 study that showed that the flu shot can save children’s lives.
Health: Given the coincidence of symptoms between the influence and COVID-19, could you remind readers how they can tell one from the other?
Dra. Pourmasiha: One of the key things to understand is that everyone is different and their reactions to these viruses can also vary. Both COVID-19 and the flu can have varying degrees of symptoms, ranging from no (asymptomatic) symptoms to severe symptoms. Common symptoms shared by COVID-19 and flu include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or muscle aches, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. Changes or loss of taste or smell have been observed with COVID-19, but not all patients experience it.
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Health: Flurone was in the news last year, is there anything to worry about this year?
Dra. Pourmasiha: What we have seen lately in our urgent care centers is a decrease in the number of flu cases and an increase in patients presenting with milder symptoms of COVID, ranging from runny nose, sore throat and upper respiratory problems. But yes, we will begin to see cases of double infection as we move into the winter months.
Health: If someone wants to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID this fall, can they do it at the same time or should they stagger it?
Dra. Pourmasiha: Yes, they can be vaccinated at the same time. Initially, the CDC had recommended people to wait 14 days after receiving the COVID vaccine before receiving any other vaccines. However, after much research, they found that it is safe to administer the flu vaccine and COVID at the same time. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies create protection, known as the immune response, and the possible side effects after vaccination are generally the same whether given alone or with other vaccines.
Health: Are flu and COVID vaccines available through Baptist Health?
Dra. Pourmasiha: Baptist Health Urgent Care and Urgent Care Express offer the flu vaccine to children 9 years of age and older, adults and elderly patients. Baptist Health does not currently offer COVID-19 vaccines to the community.
Health: Is there anything else you think readers should know about the flu shot?
Dra. Pourmasiha: As medical professionals and experts, we have always advised patients to get vaccinated against the flu. Now more than ever, since the flu shot and the COVID vaccine are available, we are asking people to get both. This will not only help reduce the risk of complications from co-infections, but will also reduce the spread of these viruses in the community and the burden they place on the healthcare system, which has been overwhelmed by the pandemic.
Health: When should someone seek treatment at Baptist Health Urgent Care or Urgent Care Express for the flu or COVID?
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Dra. Pourmasiha: This is a complicated question and there is no right or wrong answer. As doctors, we generally want to educate our patients and their families to allow the body to help eliminate a disease and not rush right away if your child looks sick. But given the recent flu outbreaks and the ongoing COVID pandemic, things are changing slightly. For best results, we typically like to test and start treating our flu patients within 48 hours of symptoms onset. Therefore, we recommend that you seek treatment as soon as symptoms begin, especially if you have a high fever, body aches and headaches. That way, if it’s a flu, we wouldn’t miss that treatment window. And if it’s COVID or something else, we’ll be able to deal with it quickly and correctly.
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