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Anticipating Worst Flu Season in Years, Michigan Physicians Urge Adults and Children of All Ages To Get Vaccinated as Soon as Possible
Physicians across the state of Michigan are imploring patients to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible this year, as the threat of the worst flu season in years looms large.
Health care experts are predicting a tough flu season ahead for several reasons:
- Researchers and data modelers often look to the southern hemisphere, which experiences its flu season first — typically from May to October — to predict how the season will look in the United States. Australia just had its worst flu season in five years, with 305 deaths. In 2021, it reported no deaths.
- Most COVID precautions have been relaxed. Many people are no longer masking and the mitigation measures required in public spaces that existed during the past few flu seasons have been eliminated.
- Less than half of U.S. adults plan to get a flu vaccine this year, according to a survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
“Physicians are extremely concerned about the flu season in Michigan this year,” said Thomas Veverka, MD, FACS, President of the Michigan State Medical Society. “A combination of factors is creating a perfect storm for the flu virus to thrive in the upcoming winter months. Especially vulnerable are young children, who have likely had minimal exposure to the flu in their lifetime, and older adults, who are more susceptible to severe influenza infection.