Cardiologists Should Prioritize Influenza Vaccination Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
Influenza vaccination essential to managing heart disease and reducing strain on U.S. healthcare resources
Vaccinating patients against the flu can go a long way to helping cardiology patients stay healthy and out of the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, freeing up beds for COVID patients. Left photo, Getty Images, right image of COVID-19 virus from the NIH.
While influenza (flu) is unpredictable, the 2020-2021 influenza season may present an unprecedented dual threat: co-circulation of influenza and the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19, and the resulting increased burden on the U.S. healthcare system. As people increasingly congregate indoors during inclement winter weather, there is growing concern that the co-circulating respiratory viruses could culminate in an even larger public health crisis particularly for the 150 million adults living with heart disease and other chr