By Ted Shaw, President/CEO, Texas Hospital Association
The message was clear on a recent call with hospital CEOs and state health officials: Flu is here in Texas – earlier and with more concern – and getting vaccinated is more important than ever.
While it seems everyone is coughing or sneezing this season, the general public is well versed in prevention tactics due to a crash course in COVID-19 over the last year and a half. We have normalized many things that keep people safe – working from home, wearing a mask, social distancing, and hand washing. Vaccines are the No. 1 way to prevent the flu, but they are not immune to politics and controversy, which can create confusion for the general public.
The bottom line is that public health experts are expecting a more severe and earlier-than-usual flu season this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, low influenza virus circulation since March 2020 could result in an intense season for young children who may have lower immunity because they may not have been previously vaccinated or had natural exposure to influenza viruses. Flu vaccination is currently recommended for people ages 6 months and older.
Even a mild flu season could put serious pressure on hospitals already pushed to the limit by COVID-19. Hospitals have been in the trenches for over a year, managing the pandemic on the frontlines. Now, hospitals are bracing for a potential influx of flu patients on top of COVID-19 cases brought on by the delta variant. Hospitals continue to face severe staffing shortages. Encouraging the flu shot is just one of many ways we can help preserve precious health care resources and keep people safe.
The administration of vaccines is an essential medical service. We encourage providers to talk openly to their patients about their vaccination status at every health care visit and administer recommended vaccines on time and at the patient’s medical home when possible. The flu vaccine helps prevent serious complications, hospitalizations, and death, and Texas providers should pull out all the stops to keep people safe from flu as the health care industry begins rebuilding and rebounding amid ongoing COVID-19 uncertainty.
The COVID-19 pandemic created issues with delayed care and a need to implement “catch-up” strategies for routine vaccinations. The flu vaccine should be part of the mix, and providers can vaccinate patients for flu and COVID-19 at the same time. With the official Texas flu season underway, vaccine supplies are plentiful. This season’s flu vaccines will protect against four strains of the flu virus: two strains of influenza A and two of influenza B. Providers across the state are communicating with patients about how they can get the vaccine safely during the pandemic.
The Texas Hospital Association has again launched a concentrated flu vaccine campaign in English and Spanish to encourage everyone to get their flu shot during the 2021-2022 flu season. Hospitals and health care providers continue working tirelessly to defend against COVID-19, and Texans should take the same precautions to protect their health this flu season. While THA actively promotes flu vaccination among the public, we encourage member hospitals and providers to use these resources to promote flu vaccination among their patients and communities.
We certainly hope we’ve seen the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the flu season may prove to be another foreboding challenge. Working together, we can help keep the people of Texas safe and healthy as we make our way through 2021 and move forward into a promising new year.