Could flu be coming with a vengeance to SC this season? Can you get a flu and COVID shot together?
South Carolina could see an above average influenza season this year as more people drop virus-spreading prevention methods from the COVID-19 pandemic, some medical experts say.
Flu season has been subdued the last couple of years as many Americans wore masks and social distanced because of the onset of COVID. But now with more people forgoing those efforts as concern over COVID has waned, some experts are concerned the flu could return worse than it has been seen in years. Meanwhile, COVID is still a threat but getting a booster along with a regular flu shot shouldn’t be a problem, experts say.
“Overall, most infectious disease experts are concerned that we’ll have a bigger flu season than we’ve seen in the last two years,” said Dr. Anna-Kathryn Burch, division director of pediatric infectious diseases at Prisma Health in Columbia.
Burch said far fewer people have recently had influenza because of COVID restrictions, meaning fewer people have flu antibodies. Fewer antibodies means more people can catch the flu and pass it on to the most vulnerable to the virus, including the immunocompromised and the elderly.
“The key is to protect people who might have bad outcomes from the flu,” Burch said.
Burch noted there’s already evidence of an impending intense flu season for South Carolina. Countries in the Southern Hemisphere like Australia have had their flu season and it’s been more robust than in recent years.
Also, the Columbia area has had a bad bout of respiratory syncytial virus (RSB) in recent months, Burch said. The resurgence of the common virus, which causes cold-like symptoms, could be an indication of what will happen when flu season begins, she said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people get a flu vaccinations in September and October to best protect them against the virus. The vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
Burch said flu vaccines have proven to be safe and effective. The vaccine won’t always protect people completely from getting the flu, but it will at least lessen their symptoms and greatly reduce their chances of death or needing a hospital visit.
“And it’s a 100% myth that you can get the flu from the vaccine,” she said. “There’s just pieces of the virus in the vaccine.”
As flu season approaches, variants of COVID are still a threat. Earlier this month, a new COVID vaccine booster became available in South Carolina that offers protection against the latest dominant strain and other versions of the virus.
Burch said residents shouldn’t have any issues getting a flu shot and a COVID shot or booster around the same time.
“But if you are really concerned, it would be fine to wait two weeks between shots,” she said.
To find where to get a flu vaccine in South Carolina, click here. For more information on COVID-19 booster shots, click here.
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
