HOSPITAL CORNER

By Cheryl Pell

This is the best year yet to get your annual flu shot: no one wants to have the flu and certainly not mixed with COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta calls this a "Twindemic."

Which one is deadlier? In this past season of 2019-20, in one year of flu tracking, 109 people died in Washington State including three children. Since data collection started in March of this year for COVID-19, approximately 1,870 citizens of Washington have died from the novel corona virus. Flu deaths this year are expected to climb so don't procrastinate–vaccinate!

While the world waits for a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, there is already a vaccine for the flu. In fact, there are several: quadrivalent formulas for most everyone including a high-dose version for people over 65, an egg-free vaccine for people who are allergic to eggs, and one given in the nose for those who do not want a shot.

Everyone over the age of six months should get vaccinated for the flu unless certain health problems make it impossible. The 2020-21 flu season is starting now and it is recommended to get vaccinated in September or October but as late as January through March of next year. It takes two weeks to build up immunity.

The flu vaccine is effective, but only if you get it! It is safe with extremely rare occurrence of allergic reactions. By comparison, serious allergic reactions to peanuts occur more often and are more dangerous than flu vaccine reactions.

We are wearing masks and frequently washing our hands to protect ourselves from COVID-19 since there is no vaccine but right now, we can help ourselves and everyone around us by getting a flu vaccine.

Here is a five-point plan we can all use to stop the spread of infectious diseases of all kinds:

1) Wash hands with soap before eating, after using the restroom, while doing pet care, and when coming in contact with others like shaking hands–but don't forget social distancing;

2) Wear a mask (this helps No. 3 by making it harder to touch the face);

3) Avoid touching the face (including mouth, nose and eyes);

4) Cover a cough or sneeze (remember to change the contaminated mask too);

5) Use cleaning wipes for contaminated surfaces including phones, computer, ATM, auto steering wheels and door handles, door knobs and grocery carts to name a few.

If you get sick, stay home. Sound familiar?

Get your flu vaccine at our drive-thru clinics, Columbia Family Clinic, Waitsburg Clinic, other immunizing providers, or at your pharmacy. Washington law has just now authorized pharmacists to give all immunizations needed for children and others as well. So, don't wait, vaccinate.