BY NEIL A. SOLOMON, MD
Much research and resources are, of course, being directed toward a safe and effective SARS CoV-2 (the “coronavirus”) vaccine. It is seen as our ultimate exit from this terrible debilitating pandemic. That day cannot come fast enough.
But before there is a vaccine for coronavirus, we all need to line up for our regular influenza (“flu”) shot. In a typical year about 25 million Americans contract influenza and approximately 10-60,000 die from the infection. This year could be much, much worse.
The typical symptoms of both viruses are similar, making them difficult to tell apart. But the treatments and prognoses are quite different – leading to a confusing clinical picture. In addition, if both infections surge concurrently this winter we are at risk of once again overwhelming our hospital resources and seeing many more people suffer. To make matters worse, the potential for co-infection with both viruses could make for a more severe clinical course than either virus alone. In other words -- a big storm is potentially brewing.
This year the Centers for Disease Control has developed a single test for seasonal flu viruses and coronavirus that will be used by U.S. public health laboratories. Testing for both viruses at the same time will give public health officials important information about how flu and coronavirus are spreading, will help public health laboratories save time and testing materials, and will possibly return test results faster.
At MedZed we are gearing up now. We are updating our data systems and working with our health plan partners to put strong population-based programs in place to make sure our patients are vaccinated and counseled. We are preparing to vaccinate all our clinical and field staff at the start of flu season. We will be working with our patients to identify who is able to obtain a flu shot out of the home, and who needs the flu shot to come to them.
This year the pandemic creates unique issues. Some patients are so avidly avoiding all contacts that getting them vaccinated is a challenge. Not all usual vaccination sites may be open to administer shots -- for example, many worksite vaccination programs will not be active this year due to office closures. Some patients may be focused on waiting for the coronavirus vaccine, and in the process could forget or forgo the more prosaic flu shot.
Each year, physicians and public health officials emphasize the importance of flu shots, and each year, a majority of Americans ignore their advice. Like with so many things, this year is different and must be different if we are to avoid another potential public health crunch in the coming months.
Neil A. Solomon, M.D., Co-Fouder and CMO
Neil is Co-Founder and Chief Strategist at MedZed, where he is responsible for developing our service programs, overseeing our CareForce, and establishing our clinical processes. He is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine and Board Certified in Internal Medicine.
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