With severe flu season on the horizon, local medical experts push for vaccinations for all

GARDNER – Local medical experts are bracing for a worse-than-usual flu season over the next several months, and they are urging most residents to minimize their risk by getting a flu shot.

One of the key indicators that this year’s flu season — which typically begins in October and peaks between December and February — could be more severe than in the past, according to Joan Doyle, director of infection prevention and control at Heywood Hospital, is that countries in the Southern Hemisphere have just emerged from an especially bad flu season.

“We look at Australia in particular, and basically their flu season peaked a little bit earlier than expected, and they had more cases and more severe illness than in the past,” Doyle explained, adding that the pandemic protocols put in place to reduce the spread of COVID had also helped minimize the number of flu cases over the last two years.

“When we think back to 2020, we almost had a nonexistent flu season because people were just not being exposed to the naturally occurring flu,” Doyle said. “And now that we have everything wide open, we’re likely to see more cases and possibly more severe cases because of the lack of prior exposure over the last couple of years.”

The flu season in Australia was generally a reliable indicator of how severe the U.S.’s flu season would be, Doyle said.

“It’s usually a really good measure, and it tells us that we need to pay attention,” she said.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from the flu is to get vaccinated, according to Doyle. She said health experts have developed a vaccine that was proving to be very effective for this season’s strain of the flu virus.

“It’s kind of a guessing game when they determine which flu shot they’re going to use, but the data that’s coming out of the Australian study by the World Health Organization is demonstrating that the vaccine that was chosen for this year’s flu is fairly well-matched to the flu that they were experiencing,” Doyle said.

The CDC recommends annual flu shots for everyone over the age of 6 months, with rare exceptions. Some people at higher risk for the flu, particularly the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, are urged to get a special kind of shot for extra protection, according to Lisa Ellis, RN, chief quality and compliance officer for Community Health Connections.

Three new flu vaccines for those over 65

“For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three new influenza vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 and older,” Ellis explained. “This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose flu vaccines.”

They are called Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine, and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine, according to Ellis. She said patients should consult with their primary care physician to determine which flu vaccine would be best for them.

In addition to getting a vaccination shot, Doyle said other effective ways to minimize the spread of the flu virus were avoiding people who are sick, staying home if you don’t feel well, and washing hands regularly.

“I know there are probably big sales on hand sanitizer now because everybody overproduced it (during COVID), so go out and get yourself some for the flu season,” she said.

Masks are effective for those at high risk of flu

People at high risk for the virus should wear a mask, she added.

Ellis said it was especially important for everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated because of the increase in social gatherings around this time of year.

“September and October are the most ideal months to be vaccinated,” Ellis said. “However, anytime throughout the winter can still provide protection during the peak of flu season.”

Keep your hands off your face

Doyle advised that everyone should avoid touching their face whenever possible during flu season.

“We kind of don’t think about that a lot, that we’re out there and we’re touching things and then we’re touching our eyes, nose, and mouth, and sometimes that’s all it takes,” Doyle explained. “As infection preventionists, we’re always harping on hand washing because the hands really are the tool that brings the infection to the entry portals on your face.”

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Local officials recommend flu shots in advance of difficult flu season