Why You Should Get Your Flu Shot This Year
As COVID-19 continues to ravage our nation, influenza will return this fall and winter as it always does.
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While Barstow battles the spread of COVID-19, we must not forget about the possibility of an influenza epidemic.
Many underestimate the severity of influenza, which is also known as the flu. The CDC estimated that “42.9 million people got sick during the 2018-2019 flu season, 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died.”
The flu was one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S in 2018. Not only does this virus kill, but it can also cause patients tremendous pain and hospitalizes vital workers. Influenza is something to take especially seriously this year because of COVID-19.
Luckily, steps can be taken to prevent a flu epidemic. The flu can mostly be prevented by the flu vaccine, or what is known as a flu shot. It’s typical to overlook the importance of your flu shot. American culture values individualism, causing most people’s actions to be in the best interest of themselves. This mindset is why “just 44.9% of registered patients ages 6 months to 64 years old got a flu vaccination from 2018 to 2019.” This year, American healthcare workers want that number to change.
This year may be the hardest ever to be vaccinated for the flu. Due to COVID-19, most workplaces and schools will no longer offer flu vaccinations. In response, companies and healthcare workers are working extra hard to distribute these vaccines.
Even though it may be harder to get a flu shot this year, getting vaccinated will indirectly free up resources for COVID-19 patients and reduce the strain on the American healthcare system. Space in hospitals is precious, and the same equipment used to treat influenza is the same used to treat COVID-19.
It should also be taken into account that it is possible to have COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. So this year, get a flu shot, not only for yourself, but for the thousands that are either hospitalized or die from the flu.
Many underestimate the severity of influenza, which is also known as the flu. The CDC estimated that “42.9 million people got sick during the 2018-2019 flu season, 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died.”
The flu was one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S in 2018. Not only does this virus kill, but it can also cause patients tremendous pain and hospitalizes vital workers. Influenza is something to take especially seriously this year because of COVID-19.
Luckily, steps can be taken to prevent a flu epidemic. The flu can mostly be prevented by the flu vaccine, or what is known as a flu shot. It’s typical to overlook the importance of your flu shot. American culture values individualism, causing most people’s actions to be in the best interest of themselves. This mindset is why “just 44.9% of registered patients ages 6 months to 64 years old got a flu vaccination from 2018 to 2019.” This year, American healthcare workers want that number to change.
This year may be the hardest ever to be vaccinated for the flu. Due to COVID-19, most workplaces and schools will no longer offer flu vaccinations. In response, companies and healthcare workers are working extra hard to distribute these vaccines.
Even though it may be harder to get a flu shot this year, getting vaccinated will indirectly free up resources for COVID-19 patients and reduce the strain on the American healthcare system. Space in hospitals is precious, and the same equipment used to treat influenza is the same used to treat COVID-19.
It should also be taken into account that it is possible to have COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. So this year, get a flu shot, not only for yourself, but for the thousands that are either hospitalized or die from the flu.
B-Line
B-Line students write articles that capture what it means to be part of the Barstow community, and record, review and analyze current events.
B-Line's origins date back to 1897, when students published "The School Paper," from Barstow's Quality Hill campus. It was published under various names in following decades, including "The Cornpatch," when Barstow moved to State Line in 1961. Today, B-Line is primarily a digital publication.
B-Line's origins date back to 1897, when students published "The School Paper," from Barstow's Quality Hill campus. It was published under various names in following decades, including "The Cornpatch," when Barstow moved to State Line in 1961. Today, B-Line is primarily a digital publication.
“Success in any line of work demands one know how to communicate with others concisely and persuasively.”
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Editors & Writers
Avani Lakkireddy
Quinn Luce
Vineeth Mothe
Charlotte Park
Amrit Siam
Finnian Waldron
