Flu in the time of COVID: Protect yourself

Flu season is coming, and against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State Health and the College of Medicine are gearing up to protect employees.

Teams across the organization will soon launch vaccination plans to provide employees with safe, convenient alternatives that eliminate crowds. From unit-based flu shots for clinical staff to appointment-based, on-campus vaccines, the goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to get protection from a flu shot.

Managers will share additional details soon about the timing and options for getting your flu shot.

National and state experts are strongly recommending that everyone, except those with medical contraindications, get a flu shot. It will reduce your chances of developing severe respiratory illness, which takes its toll on patients and health care providers. This is especially true for the elderly and individuals with chronic diseases who are more vulnerable to complications from flu and COVID-19.

Symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are so similar that physicians may not be able to tell them apart. People with COVID must be isolated, and those with flu need antiviral medications. Patients may require two or more tests to determine the cause of their respiratory illness, and they would need to be isolated as they await results.

Historically, emergency departments become flooded with flu patients during winter. We don’t want to comingle flu and COVID patients and risk transmitting either to high-risk individuals, nor do we want to overwhelm the health care system and place unnecessary burdens on providers and resources.

While the world awaits news about a vaccine for COVID-19, we have the opportunity to get another vaccine that can save lives and reduce the chances of people developing another serious illness—influenza. Experts simply do not know enough about COVID yet to understand how the two may interact, but they do know the flu shot will prevent flu or produce milder illness for many flu-infected individuals.

Make time to protect yourself, your family and your coworkers by getting a flu shot.

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