Pittsburgh doctor weighs in on the need for flu shots during heightened cases of COVID-19

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PITTSBURGH — We are about to enter our second flu season during the coronavirus pandemic. This will be our first flu season where we also have COVID-19 vaccines.

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Both the flu and coronavirus are potentially deadly and are preventable with vaccinations. Dr. Graham Snyder, the medical director of infection prevention at UPMC, recommends getting both.

“The vaccine for COVID-19 and the vaccine for flu address two different pathogens. One addresses the SARS virus, the other addresses influenza,” explained Dr. Graham Snyder.

This year we could be in for a more serious flu season, compared to last year, when we had record low flu cases. That’s because of wearing masks and spending most of flu season working from home.

Now even with the recent delta variant surge, most people are out and about much more, so getting a flu shot this year is important.

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“These vaccines prepare your immune system to recognize the virus if you encounter it and make cause some symptoms these are symptoms that your immune system is being prepared for. That’s nothing like actually getting the infections, Dr. Snyder explained.

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