#16,993
Influenza seasons are always unpredictable, and can range from mild (see 2012: The Close of A Mild Flu Season) to severe (see 2018's CDC: More Than 900,000 Hospitalizations & 80,000 Deaths In Last Winter's Flu Season), to extraordinary (Remembering 1951: The Year Seasonal Flu Went Rogue).
This year's flu vaccine could be a good match and very protective against the dominant strain, or - worst-case, like we saw in 2014-2015 - it could be be a complete `miss' (see CDC HAN Advisory On `Drifted’ H3N2 Seasonal Flu Virus).
This year we still have a COVID pandemic to deal with, and it is hard to say how the flu and the coronavirus will interact. Some studies have suggested co-infection can increase mortality risks (see The Lancet: SARS-CoV-2 Co-infection With Influenza Viruses, RSV, or Adenoviruses), but we don't know how often it actually happens.
While it isn't necessarily a harbinger for this fall, Australia has just come off a very early, and robust flu season (see Australia's Early and Impressive Flu Season), while Vietnam and much of Southern China have reported an unusually strong summer wave of H3N2.
This fall many governments are banking on the combination of the seasonal flu vaccine and a new and updated COVID booster shot to get us through what could be a difficult winter without resorting to more draconian measures.
Tomorrow (Thursday Sept 8th) the CDC will hold a COCA Call - primarily for healthcare professionals - on this year's vaccination strategy, the new preferential flu vaccine recommendation for older adults, and coadministration of both vaccines, in a one-hour webinar.While the effectiveness of both vaccines has yet to be tested in the real world, the biggest unknown is how accepting a pandemic fatigued public will be in getting double-jabbed (Note: I outlined my reasons for getting both shots last Sunday in #NatlPrep: Giving Your Preparedness Plan A Shot In The Arm).
As always, if you are unable to attend the live presentation, these (and past) webinars are archived and available for later viewing at this LINK.
2022-2023 Influenza Vaccination Recommendations and Guidance on Coadministration with COVID-19 Vaccines
Overview
During this COCA Call, presenters will provide updates on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for the 2022-2023 influenza vaccination season, including information on a new preferential vaccine recommendation for adults ages 65 and older. In addition, presenters will outline guidance for the coadministration of the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
Presenters
Lisa Grohskopf, MD, MPH
Medical Officer
Influenza Division
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Evelyn Twentyman, MD, MPH
Lead, Vaccine Policy Unit
COVID-19 Response
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sara Oliver, MD, MSPH
Lead, COVID-19 Coordinating Unit
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Call Materials
Not available at this time. Please check back.
Call Details
When:
Thursday, September 8, 2022,
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Webinar Link:
https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1608206056
Passcode: 759488
Telephone:
US: +1 669 254 5252
or +1 669 216 1590
or +1 551 285 1373
or +1 646 828 7666
International numbers
One-tap mobile:
US: +16692545252,,1608206056#,,,,*759488# or +16692161590,,1608206056#,,,,*759488#
Webinar ID: 160 820 6056
