Flu News

Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, this flu season seems to have fallen out of our minds, and the media’s. Doctors have said that this flu season has been bad, with around 30-40 million cases in the US. Just for reference, 525,000 people have been infected with coronavirus since January. The deaths from the flu have been around 30,000 people this year, while coronavirus has claimed around 20,000 lives. These numbers are just to give perspective of the impact that the flu has on our country EVERY SEASON. Its important to pay attention to these numbers and what is happening with the flu in our country.

Being educated is important, but even more importantly getting vaccinated! Although the vaccine is not perfect, doctors have said that it reduces the amount of infections by about 50%. If you ask me, that’s a chance I’m willing to take if it means staying healthy. Doctors prepare the flu vaccine before the season starts each year. This is due to the fact that the influenza virus can do antigenic variation, producing different strains each year. This year, children have been infected with the flu more than in past years. There has been 92 pediatric deaths this flu season. That number could be greatly reduced if people would get their children vaccinated. If you had a 50% chance of reducing risk of infection for your children wouldn’t you do it?

Influenza is a disease that threatens our health every single year. I think it is overlooked by the general public because of the commonality of it. The stigma around vaccinations plays a big role in the amount of children that receive them. The numbers are important to get the point across that even something as simple as a flu vaccine could decrease the risk of hospitalization and even death. 300,000-500,000 people have been hospitalized with the flu this season. That is almost half a million people. There is a vaccine that prevents the risk of infection, and could decrease the severity if infected. We should all do our part in receiving vaccines for the sake of those around us, and our own selves.