Flu Vaccines Urged As Winter Viruses Begin To Spread In Virginia

VIRGINIA — With the omicron coronavirus variant spreading to more states, the COVID-19 pandemic has Virginians hoping the relatively high rate of vaccinations in the state will prevent hospitalizations and serious illness once the variant does reach the state. As the 2021-22 cold and flu season arrives, Virginians have another array of viruses to monitor and treat.

Health officials expect to see a rise in COVID-19, influenza, colds and stomach bugs in the coming weeks. Though COVID-19 has proven to be much more dangerous than all the other seasonal viruses making the rounds, doctors and hospitals also are likely to begin treating patients afflicted with the usual seasonal culprits.

On Monday, the Virginia Department of Health encouraged all people in the state 6 months and older to receive the annual flu shot. Although flu activity remains low nationally, Virginia has started to see "sporadic" reports of the influenza virus detected in recent weeks.

The VDH emphasized that December is not too late to get the flu vaccine. While the flu season may vary from year to year, cases often peak in January or February.

The 2020-21 flu season was unusually mild. “Public health recommendations such as social distancing, wearing a mask indoors, staying home when sick, avoiding crowds, and hand washing all likely contributed to the mild 2020-2021 season,” Lisa Sollot, respiratory disease coordinator for the VDH, said in a statement Monday. “How well these recommendations are followed this season will likely have an impact on transmission of influenza.”

Sollot also noted that some experts have suggested that because there was little flu virus activity last winter, natural immunity may be lower than in an average flu season.

“This development makes getting the influenza vaccine this season even more important,” she said.

For residents feel sick and are not sure if it could be the flu or COVID-19, the VDH has a chart that outlines the differences in symptoms. For the flu, the onset of symptoms is usually rapid, while the onset of symptoms for the coronavirus is gradual.

The common symptoms for the flu are fever, dry cough, headache, fatigue, aches and pains. For COVID-19, the common symptoms, if people develop any at all, are fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, headache and aches, according to the VDH.

Similar to the need to get booster shots for COVID-19 and how the medical community is reviewing changes in the coronavirus, a flu vaccine is needed every year because the body’s immune response from vaccination declines over time and flu viruses are constantly changing.

The VDH reported 1,676 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with the current positivity rate at 7.6 percent.

The U.S. as a whole has 60 percent of people fully vaccinated, compared to 65.6 percent in Virginia, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Health officials across the world are monitoring the new omicron COVID-19 variant, which could spread more rapidly than previous versions of the virus. Virginia has yet to report a case of the omicron COVID-19 variant.

At this point, there is no indication that the omicron variant causes more severe disease or can circumvent current COVID-19 vaccines.

Experts warn, though, that more definitive data on the omicron variant will not be available for weeks.

Despite the omicron variant appearing in many states, the delta variant still accounts for 99.9 percent of new COVID cases in the United States, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told ABC News in an interview.

Visit www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines to find a location near you to get the flu vaccine. It is safe to get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time, according to the VDH.