Flu season is here and overall viral activity is up 23% across the United States, even as respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 infections continue to sweep across parts of the nation.
Flu season is here and overall viral activity is up 23% across the United States, even as respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 infections continue to sweep across parts of the nation. While COVID-19 infections are showing signs of slowing, the other viruses continue to be health concerns in the U.S.
This morning, Walgreens launched its Walgreens Flu Index for the 2021–2022 season that enabled communities to track flu activity across their region. Kevin Ban, M.D., chief medical officer of Walgreens, said the index shows a higher flu activity in the U.S. compared to last year’s data. Ban said 2020 flu infections were much lower due to mitigation strategies for COVID-19 that included the wearing of masks, social distancing, and sheltering in place. Additionally, Walgreens data shows a significantly higher number of vaccines for the flu administered in 2020 than in previous years as people sought protection against illness during the height of the pandemic.
While COVID-19 and RSV continue to be health threats, Ban said it is critically important that people get vaccinated against the flu ahead of the winter, when the infections are at their highest.
“With many regions loosening COVID mitigation efforts and people spending more time together in person, we may see an uptick in flu activity and our pharmacy team members are readily accessible to help you get vaccinated and address questions,” Ban said in a statement.
Areas with the highest influenza infections in the early part of flu season include Las Vegas and parts of Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi, which are all areas that were hard hit by the latest surge of COVID-19. The top cities affected by early surges in influenza are all in southern states (with the exception of Youngstown, Ohio), which are all regions that saw high infection rates of COVID-19 driven by the Delta variant. The Walgreens data suggests the increase in flu infections is likely due to tourism and reduced preventative measures against COVID-19.
The month of October, which typically brings cooler, damper air to most regions, is seen as the start of the flu season. Citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Walgreens said it’s important that people receive a vaccine for the flu, even while people try to schedule their COVID-19 vaccine or booster for the vaccine. Experts believe that both available vaccines against the flu and COVID-19 can be administered at the same time.
There are some concerns regarding vaccine hesitancy among minority populations, which have been highlighted by the ongoing pandemic. Over the years, minority populations in the U.S. have expressed hesitancy and resistance to flu vaccines. The majority of the regions where flu is already becoming a concern have higher proportions of minorities. Ban said the same kind of hesitancy some minority groups have shown against the COVID-19 vaccine have also historically been seen with the flu vaccine.
According to Ban, many people share the same concerns when it comes to getting a flu shot, wondering if it is safe, if it works, or if it is actually needed. “Walgreens is committed to breaking down barriers by meeting our patients where they are through off-site vaccination clinics and leaning into our thousands of pharmacists to help address patient questions based on their personal situation and concerns,” he added.
While there are flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines, there are no approved or authorized vaccines for RSV. In the spring of this year, the CDC announced that RSV infections were on the rise across the United States to levels typically seen during winter months. The surge in RSV occurred about the same time as the latest COVID-19 surge in the U.S.
Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson posted Phase II data for its RSV vaccine that shows an 80% efficacy level in adult patients over the age of 65, a population particularly vulnerable to respiratory disease. According to CDC data, RSV leads to 177,000 hospitalizations and about 14,000 deaths in the elderly population.
Pfizer is also working on a vaccine for elderly patients and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals recently posted positive Phase III data for its RSV vaccine for infants.
