An early rush by people to get flu vaccines — along with teleworking, the use of face masks and fewer social gatherings due to COVID-19 — seems to be tamping down the start of flu season in Georgia, some health providers say.
The Georgia Department of Public Health’s most recent weekly report shows the number of reported cases is among the lowest in nine years.
The report says flu activity is minimal. There were three people hospitalized for the flu in the metro area during the week of Nov. 15-21.
By comparison, last year during the third week of November, there were 88 people in the hospital, and flu activity was high.
Snehal Doshi, the vice president of pharmacy and lab services at Wellstar Health System, said vaccines and COVID protocols are helping.
“I am not sure if it will delay the peak or not. But it has delayed the start of flu season,” he said.
Wellstar Health System does not release its numbers, but Doshi said results from flu tests indicate it has fewer cases than normal.
A September report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta echoes Doshi’s hopes for a mild flu season. It says there was very low flu activity this year in the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season peaks during its winter months of July or August. And the use of community mitigation measures for COVID-19, plus influenza vaccinations, “are likely to be effective in reducing the incidence and impact of influenza” in the Northern Hemisphere.
Many health care organizations and businesses promoted getting a flu shot this year because the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic created a double danger. Many people took the warnings to heart.
Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com
Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com
While the state health department reported that the number of flu vaccinations is close to where they were last year, at more than 2.2 million, some private practitioners say they are seeing more interest in getting the shot this year.
Wendy Daniels Allard, a MinuteClinic nurse practitioner, said, “Here in Atlanta, I’ve given more flu vaccines this year than I ever have in my nursing career.”
“I would have families come in for vaccines. They would just make it a family affair,” she said.
MinuteClinic and CVS pharmacies, like many other health care organizations in the U.S., ordered large amounts of the vaccine — 18 million doses.
“That is doubled from last year,” Allard said.
Doshi said Wellstar ordered about 25% more than last year.
A third quarter report from Sanofi Pasteur, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of vaccines, said U.S. flu vaccine sales increased 52.8% this year.
The early rush to get vaccinated drained some health care providers of the vaccines, creating short-term, spot shortages.
Though the flu season is off to a slow start, it could change.
Dr. Hugo Scornik a pediatrician from Conyers, said: “So far, we have not seen a lot of flu in Atlanta. Because of COVID protocols, we at least hope that the flu virus will be attenuated this year. But, of course, we don’t know that now. One thing that is predictable about the flu is that it is unpredictable.”
“We are ready and very worried about having two pandemics at the same time,” he said. “If ever there is one year to get your vaccination, this is the year.”
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