DOCTOR IS IN by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
We are approaching flu season again. This would have been a major cause of worry among Americans two years ago, but after the carnage the coronavirus has wreaked in the last year and a half, the flu doesn’t seem like much of a big deal. Spoiler – it is. Still.
In truth, the coronavirus is deadlier than the flu. The mortality rate of the coronavirus is estimated to be possibly ten times higher than most strains of the flu. But the flu still has a mortality rate, and that means it must be taken seriously.
Very seriously, in fact. The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide. Those are still scary numbers, irrespective of how many people the coronavirus kills.
Last year, flu season was quiet, which was a very welcome development. Most experts believe this is because of the social distancing regulations and similar restrictions put in place to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. And it worked. However, an overwhelming majority of states in the world have eased those restrictions, largely due to the protective efforts of the vaccine. And I fear what this means for the flu.
People often think the flu vaccine is unnecessary if you have the coronavirus vaccine. That couldn’t be more wrong. The two infections are caused by different viruses, and, by implication, don’t require the same vaccine. Yes, they are both respiratory diseases. Yes, they both have lots of similarities in their spread and symptoms. Notwithstanding, the viruses that cause them are different.
The flu is caused by the influenza virus (usually influenza A and influenza B), while the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID. Two different viruses, as you can see. The vaccines are also different. A coronavirus vaccine will not protect you from the flu, and vice versa.
Most adults in the United States already have the coronavirus vaccine, and about 60% are reportedly open to getting the flu vaccine, an increase from last year’s 40-ish percent. Right now, only about 8% of American adults have gotten the flu vaccine. That number needs to go up, and fast too.
Adults shouldn’t require anyone to preach to them about vaccines, but that’s a far cry from where we stand now in this country. Not only do we, I mean health practitioners, have to convince people to get vaccinated, but we also have to deal with a barrage of insults, political views, misconceptions, lies, and so on about them. It’s exhausting, as if we weren’t busy enough as it is.
Also, another common misconception is that the flu vaccine from last year would work for you this year. The reason last year’s vaccination will not work for you is that flu strains are always changing. Scientists have to spend months predicting the strains for the year and then making a vaccine for the strains. So, last year’s flu strains are not necessarily this year’s. This is why we have to keep getting the flu vaccine annually, at least till science figures it out.
One question you may be wondering is the possible interference between the coronavirus and flu vaccines. Let me help you out there – none. In fact, you can receive both vaccines at the same time. The CDC fully supports this. And there’s also no problem of overworking our immune system with the vaccines. If only you knew what your immune system is exposed to on a daily.
The last, and perhaps most annoying, of the misconceptions I hear is that the flu vaccine can give you the flu. The flu vaccine can’t give you the flu because it doesn’t contain the live virus. Getting a flu shot will not give you the flu – no chance at all. However, you may still get the flu shortly after getting the flu shot because it takes about two weeks for the body to build immunity against the virus, but you can be assured that the chances for hospitalizations and deaths with the vaccine are significantly lower than without them.
The summary of all of this? Get the flu vaccine; you need them. Get the coronavirus vaccine if you haven’t; you need them too. Stay safe.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
· https://yourlocalepidemiol ogist.substack.com/p/go-get-your-flu-shot-especially-this
· https://www.google.com/amp/s/health.clevelandclinic.org/why-you-definitely-need-to-get-a-flu-shot-this-year/amp/
· https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/whoshouldvax.htm
· https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm
· https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu%3famp=true
