The State of Texas is concerned about a seasonal surge in influenza coinciding with COVID-19 infections. Flu season traditionally starts in October every year and taxes healthcare resources. Moreover, thousands of children will be returning to school at that time. Texas therefore recommends flu shots this winter to avoid what Texas Tribune calls a ‘recipe for an unprecedented health disaster’.
Texas Recommends Flu Shots This Winter to Defend the Onslaught
John Carlo is a member of the Texas Medical Association COVID-19 task force, and past-chair of the Texas Public Health Coalition. He says ‘If we have a bad flu season and fill our emergency rooms and hospital beds with flu patients. We’re not going to able to defend ourselves against the onslaught of the coronavirus.”
Health officials agree according to Texas Tribune. They worry a bad flu season could lead to a shortage of test kits and a strain on hospital capacity. Moreover, we still do not understand the full implications of a person catching COVID-19 and influenza at the same time. Therefore, it appears to make sense when Texas recommends flu shots this winter.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott Supports the Call
Gov. Greg Abbott worries the 2020 flu season could be ‘prolific’. And says it is important to ‘get ahead of the curve’ with vaccination. That’s because ‘hospitals in this region … will be completely overrun’ if surges coincide. Therefore, from where we sit Texas recommends flu shots this winter with foresight.
Angela Clendenin is an epidemiologist and biostatistician at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. Her words seem wise when she says ‘The big misconception is when people go and get the flu shot. And then they end up getting the flu and they think that it failed and the flu vaccination is useless.
‘Well, the thing that they don’t realize is if they hadn’t had the vaccine, their flu may have been much, much worse.’ There is no vaccine yet for COVID-19 but there is for influenza. Therefore the best solution seems to be giving our immune system every help we can.
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Preview Image: Influenza in Austin, Texas
