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Director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Rochelle Walensky testifies throughout a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee listening to to look at the FY 2022 price range request for the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on Could 19, 2021 in Washington,DC.
Jim Lo Scalzo | AFP | Getty Photos
Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention influenza specialists are involved that the USA could possibly be in danger for a extreme flu season this 12 months, Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned Wednesday.
That is as a result of the U.S. inhabitants could now have decreased immunity towards influenza after seasonal flu instances reached an all-time low final 12 months when giant elements of the nation had been shut down, Walensky instructed reporters throughout a White Home press briefing.
In the course of the 2020-2021 flu season, there have been only a few flu instances, “largely due to masking and bodily distancing and different prevention measures put in place for the Covid-19 pandemic,” she stated.
There have been round 2,000 flu instances final influenza season, in line with knowledge reported to the CDC. By comparability, the 2019-2020 flu season noticed an estimated 35 million instances, in line with the company.
Walensky urged People to get photographs for each Covid and the flu, saying vaccinations usually are not simply vital for ending the pandemic but in addition stopping different infectious illnesses. A rise in flu infections this winter might put a further burden on the nation’s health-care system, growing stress on well being care employees who’re already combating a excessive variety of hospitalizations because of Covid, she stated.
About 69,000 People are presently in inpatient beds with Covid, in line with the Division of Well being and Human Companies.
“We proceed to see many hospitals and intensive care items throughout the nation at full capability,” Walensky stated. “Annually in the USA, influenza can declare between 12,000 and 52,000 lives and end in 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations.”
She stated it’s secure and efficient to get vaccines for Covid and the flu on the identical time.
“We want as many individuals as attainable to be vaccinated for influenza, in order that we will present safety for many who are at most threat, comparable to adults who’re over 65, these of any age who’ve persistent well being situations comparable to bronchial asthma, coronary heart illness or diabetes, and youngsters, particularly below 5 who’re susceptible to extreme issues from the flu,” she stated.
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