Flu season is rapidly approaching and it’s time to get your flu shot!! So much has been reported about the Covid-19 vaccine this year, you may not realize how important it is for you to get your annual seasonal flu shot.
The precautions of social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks etc. which are health habits we’ve all developed the past several months will help protect us from the seasonal flu virus and other infections. However, there is absolutely no better way to prevent the flu than getting an annual vaccine. Once the vaccine is administered, it takes about two weeks for the body to build up enough antibodies to develop immunity.
Common flu symptoms include fever, cough, headache and fatigue. All symptoms which are very similar to those of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Both viruses attack the respiratory system. It remains unclear how the two viruses might interact or affect overall sickness when infecting the same person.
“It is possible to get both the coronavirus and the flu at the same time," said Dr. Geary of Sharp Hospital. “Both can result in severe illness and complications, including hospitalization and death. While there is not a readily available vaccine for coronavirus, we DO know that being vaccinated for influenza is the best thing you can do to protect yourself from getting the flu.” A big concern could be catching one after the other, a brutal one-two punch to your immune system. Even if you don’t end up in the hospital, your recovery could take a long time. According to the CDC, “Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever during 2020-2021 to protect yourself and the people around you from flu, and to help reduce the strain on healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.