[ad_1]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky testifies at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to consider the Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Jim Lo Scalzo | AFP | Getty Images
Influenza experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fear the United States may be at risk of a severe flu season this year, director Dr Rochelle Walensky warned on Wednesday.
That’s because the American population can now have reduced immunity to the flu after cases of seasonal flu hit an all-time high last year when large parts of the country were shut down, Walensky told reporters at the meeting. ‘a press briefing at the White House.
During the 2020-2021 influenza season, there have been very few cases of influenza, “largely because of the masking and physical distancing and other preventive measures put in place for the Covid pandemic. 19, “she said.
There were about 2,000 cases of the flu this past flu season, according to data released to the CDC. For comparison, the 2019-20 flu season saw about 35 million cases, according to the agency.
Walensky urged Americans to get vaccinated against both Covid and the flu, saying vaccinations are not only important in ending the pandemic, but also in preventing other infectious diseases. An increase in influenza infections this winter could place an additional burden on the country’s healthcare system, increasing stress on healthcare workers who are already battling a high number of hospitalizations from Covid, she said.
About 69,000 Americans are currently in hospital beds with Covid, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We continue to see many hospitals and intensive care units across the country at full capacity,” Walensky said. “Each year in the United States, the flu can kill between 12,000 and 52,000 people and cause 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations.”
She said it was safe and effective to get the Covid and flu shot at the same time.
“We need as many people as possible to be vaccinated against the flu, so that we can protect those most at risk, such as adults over 65, people of all ages who suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, and children, especially those under five, who are at risk for serious complications from the flu, ”she said.
[ad_2]
Source link