CDC Urges Flu Shots as Survey Shows Half of Americans Don't Plan on It

might have gained if they’d gotten sick.

Overall vulnerability to the flu could be higher in the United States this year due to “relaxed COVID-19 mitigation strategies, increased travel and the reopening of schools,” the foundation’s medical director, Dr. William Schaffner, tells the Times.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and the risk of both flu and COVID-19 circulating could put additional strain on hospitals and frontline health care professionals,” she warns.

Benefits of a flu shot

Everyone age 6 months and older should get a flu shot, Walensky advises.

Here are the benefits of getting vaccinated:

Prevents you from getting sick with the flu
Reduces the severity of illness of those that get sick, especially those that fall in the high-risk group
Reduces the risk of hospilization
Can reduce the risk of chronic conditions, such as lung disease from worsening
Protects pregnant women during and after their pregnancy
Protects babies from the flu for several months after they are born
Reduces children’s risk of dying from the flu
Protects those around you that are high-risk and more vunerable

The survey did suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a positive effect on behaviors that could help reduce the spread of the flu.

Nearly half of the respondents said the pandemic has made them more likely to stay home from work or school if they’re sick, and 54% said they would wear a mask at least sometimes during the flu season, the Times reports.