Due to restrictions to protect people from the coronavirus, last year’s flu season never arrived. However, concerns are growing that this year’s flu season could be severe.
A new prediction says the parts are in place for a severe flu season, but experts warn there are several other factors to consider.
Read: Flu is expected to circulate more this year due to fewer COVID precautions
The flu is notoriously difficult to predict even without an ongoing pandemic. The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health model suggests the flu could result in up to 600,000 hospitalizations.
By comparison, around 200,000 people are hospitalized with the flu every year. Experts said a combination of factors could make this winter especially tough.
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Regardless of the future, health officials are urging people to get the flu vaccine to prevent further stress on hospitals already overwhelmed by COVID-19 and other viruses.
Read: Can I get a flu shot and a COVID shot at the same time?
Dr. Arnold Monto is an influenza expert at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.
“I don’t like to talk about a possible flu season, but we really need to get people to think about the flu when we get into vaccination season,” said Monto.
The lack of data made selecting the strains of flu for this year’s vaccines to protect against a more challenging one. This decision had to be made in March.
While there are two updates to this year’s flu shots, it remains to be seen how well they go with the flu viruses circulating this winter.
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The best protection against the flu is a flu shot. It is recommended to receive it by the end of October.
Many people have asked if you can get your flu shot at the same time as having a COVID booster shot. The CDC said you can get both at the same time.
Read: More Coverage Of Good Health
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