Flu Cases are on the Rise in NJ, Experts Say it’ll be Worse than the Last two Years

(CTN News) – The flu season, accompanying headaches, fevers, muscle pains, and exhaustion, has arrived in New Jersey. Since the beginning of October, more people have sought treatment for flu-like symptoms in hospital emergency departments and medical offices than at the same time last year.

As the flu season begins early in the country, youngsters seem to be setting the pace. Additionally, doctors caution that more individuals may get the influenza virus this winter than in the previous two COVID winters.

If you haven’t gotten your flu vaccination yet, specialists advise that you do so right now.

The widespread return to work and school, the lifting of the mask ban, and the joyful resumption of travel and in-person socializing all contribute to the perfect conditions for spreading diseases. In addition, the mild flu seasons of the previous two years have reduced natural immunity.

Dr. Debra Houry, a representative of the government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that vaccination is our greatest line of protection against the severe effects of contracting the flu. Yet less than half of Americans get flu vaccines each year.

Additionally, according to a study released by the CDC on Wednesday, flu-related hospitalizations have disproportionately harmed Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Native Alaskan communities over the last ten years, reflecting the racial disparities of the COVID pandemic so clearly exposed.

Not by chance, such groups have lower vaccination rates than whites and Asian Americans.

Most recent flu season show whites and Asians vaccinated 54%, blacks 42%, native Americans 41%, and hispanics 38%.

According to the survey, white and Asian individuals had vaccination rates of 54% during the most recent flu season, compared to vaccination rates of 42% for Black adults, 41% for Native Americans, and 38% for Hispanic adults.

According to Houry, the flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospital admissions, and tens of thousands of fatalities annually in the United States. Some racial and ethnic groups are still under-vaccinated, which has increased the likelihood that members of these groups may end up in the hospital if they do get the flu.

The differences have a variety of reasons. These towns’ residents may not have access to medical treatment or health insurance.

It’s possible that their medical professionals missed chances to deliver the flu vaccination during checkups or other appointments.

They can have a low opinion of the medical community or accept false information about vaccinations’ dangers and adverse effects.

Members of several minority groups are more susceptible to severe sickness, including COVID and the flu, due to the higher prevalence of the chronic disease.

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