PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Flu season is around the corner as hospitals and emergency rooms continue to fill up across Pennsylvania as COVID-19 cases rise with the Delta variant.
Up to 200 million doses of the flu vaccine is expected to be delivered across the nation for the 2021-2022 flu season, according to the CDC.
Flu season hits this year as the CDC has recommended certain groups to receive a COVID-19 booster shot. Currently, manufacturers don't expect any delays in the supply or demand of the flu vaccine.
How did COVID-19 impact flu season?
The CDC reports flu activity was "unusually low" throughout 2020-2021 with fewer illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. The CDC attributes this drop in flu cases last year to increased mask wearing, hand washing, more people staying at home, reduced travel, and school closures during the pandemic.
The CDC adds flu vaccinations also likely contributed to the drop in cases. A record number of flu vaccines, nearly 194 million doses, were distributed between 2020-2021.
Despite the reduced flu activity in 2020-2021, testing for the flu remained high. The CDC reports "during September 28, 2020–May 22, 2021 in the United States, 1,675 (0.2%) of 818,939 respiratory specimens tested by U.S. clinical laboratories were positive for an influenza virus." It added, "for comparison, during the last three seasons before the pandemic, the proportion of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza peaked between 26.2% and 30.3%." Hospitalizations associated with the flu in 2020-2021 were the lowest recorded since 2005.