SAN ANTONIO — The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives, possibly for good. But it also affected last year's flu season. But this year could be far different.
Medical experts are warning about a "twindemic" where the flu spreads like wildfire, and COVID-19 makes it double trouble.
Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with University Health told us, "When your immune system is tied up and are battling one viral pathogen, you're going to be at higher risk that another viral pathogen can cause a kind of opportunistic infection, take advantage of the situation."
Prior to last year, flu numbers were not too far off average numbers. In the 2017 to 2018 flu season, there were 45 million positive cases. The next year, it was 36 million. And then it was 38 million in the 2019 to 2020 flu season.
But this past flu season, we didn't even hit one million -- a mere 818,939 positive cases. But this is not the time to let your guard down. Dr. Bowling added, "We do worry that since people weren't exposed last year, there may be less natural immunity, and in addition to the vaccine immunity, and so there might be some worse cases."
The flu vaccine in the U.S. is largely based on the flu season in the southern hemisphere. It is also an indication of how bad the flu season could be this year. And so far for them, it has been quiet. But that's not always good news.
Dr. Bowling said, "We don't have virus isolates to sample to determine what would be the best match for the flu vaccine. So, that's the downside of not having as much flu."
And to add insult to a double injury, the RSV virus reared its ugly head early this year, which could lead to a triple-endemic. Dr. Bowling told us, "It can be really difficult to tease out what somebody has just by their symptoms, just because they're going to be so much overlap."
Experts say your best protection against COVID-19 and the flu is vaccines. And you can get them both at the same time. Dr. Bowling said, "It is going to be really important this year that people get vaccinated against influenza in addition to COVID-19, because we are going to see influenza this year."
University Health will be holding flu vaccination drives on four Saturdays over the next month and a half starting with next Saturday. The dates, locations and times are below:
Saturday, September 18, 2021
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston
Hosted by Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert
Saturday, September 25, 2021
- 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Southwest Athletic Complex, 11914 Dragon Lane
- Hosted by Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores
Saturday, October 9, 2021
- 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Dub Farris Athletic Complex, 8400 North Loop 1604 W.
- Hosted by Bexar County Commissioner Trish DeBerry
Saturday, October 16, 2021
- 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, 5757 US Hwy 90
- Hosted by Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez
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