Doctors say flu shots are even more important this year as threat of the coronavirus looms

4 years ago

PORTSMOUTH, V.a. (WAVY) — It’s the last thing you probably want to hear right now now, but flu season is just right around the corner.

Doctors say getting vaccinated for the flu this year is more important now than ever. According to the CDC, September and October are the best months to get a flu vaccination, before flu season kicks into high gear in December.

“I’d like to take the opportunity to really emphasize the critical importance of every year, folks actually getting getting their flu vaccination,” Dr. Thomas Kayrouz, President and Chief Medical Officer at Riverside Medical Group.

Dr. Kayrouz said our methods used to fight coronavirus such as wearing masks and social distancing could mean fewer cases of the flu, but adds that shouldn’t stop you from getting vaccinated.

“The last thing you want is someone contracting both the flu and coronavirus — and those things can happen concurrently and I would say that type of co-infection would be devastating,” He said. “This year, everyone wants that additional protection, I promise you,”

The comparison between the novel coronavirus and the flu has sparked many questions since the start of the pandemic. Dr. Kayrouz said there’s key differences.

“It looks like right now if you contract the coronavirus, the mortality rate is between 1 and 3 percent so that 10 and 20 times more,” he said.

Another major difference? There’s a vaccine to protect us against the flu. A vaccine against COVID-19 is still in the works.

For more information about the coronavirus pandemic, click here.

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