COVID-19 isn’t the only illness that can impact large populations, and Hospital Sisters Health System is urging the public to get their influenza vaccine as soon as possible.
Sheboygan St. Nicholas as well as other HSHS Hospitals in Wisconsin are reported to be near capacity limits due to widespread COVID-19 and Delta variant infections, along with those patients being treated for other conditions.
On Tuesday, HSHS Medical Director of Infectious Disease Dr. Sarah Lulloff said that besides the coronavirus, other respiratory viruses, including RSV and parainfluenza virus are also making a large number of vulnerable patients sick, and she said that getting the flu vaccine now will help avoid a crunch of patients when flu season gets into high gear.
Unlike the COVID-19 vaccine, flu shots are available for children as young as 6 months of age, and according to the CDC most people age 2 through 49 can take a vaccine nasal spray for influenza instead of a shot.
